The Fox and the Hunter
by TangyO
Summary: An unofficial sequel to The Fox and the Hound. A young hound and its master befriend a young fox kit. Gradually, they uncover the secrets of their family's past. Rewrite underway.
1. Prologue

A/N: So technically, the original Fox and the Hound take place around 1967, and supposedly in the author's state of Pennsylvania. However, I'm moving the year of the movies setting to the year it released: 1981. In this prologue, Tod is around 1 year old, so it takes place a couple months after the end of the movie.

Prologue

May 1982

A cool wind blows through the forest. It's silent. All the animals are fast asleep, including the small family of red foxes, burrowed inside a log. There's four of them! A young male, a young female, and two newborns, one a boy, the other a girl.

The young male is stirring in his sleep. He's dreaming of times past, many months before. He's dreaming of an unlikely friend, and their constant struggles of their nature. His friend is a hound dog, whose kind is bred to kill. To kill his kind. But he's different. He has no intention of harming his friend. They owe their lives to each other. After parting ways, they rarely come in contact, merely passing in the background of the other's life. They do know, however, the possibility that they meet again, would be a negative scenario.

Copper is the hound's name. Tod is the fox's. They promised to be friends forever, even though they realize they will never go back to their childhood ways. There would be no playing in the pond. There would be no playing hide and seek. The reality is, Tod would be endangered by the hound's hunters, and Copper wouldn't act to save his friend a second time.

This is how things are supposed to be. It's how nature intended it. One can't rebel against nature, Tod tried it. Nature punished him. Nature is the master of everything, like a hound dog to their master.

The forest where the foxes reside, is a mile away from a nature reserve. One that would keep the couple safe. The Winter was, however, cruel to them. They had to leave their safety haven, to scavenge for food, for the arrival of their new born cubs were imminent. It would come to be a big mistake though, as leaving the reserve would expose them to the large group of regional hunters, who wanted nothing more than to kill every living thing in the area.

…

…

A gunshot rang out, the forest echoing the explosion. "Sounds like it's about half a mile away," said Tod. "Whatever it is," his mate whispered, "we have to make it back to the safety of the reserve". The only problem with that plan, was that the gunshot came _from_ the direction of the game reserve. "Vixey, I'm gonna go check it out," said Tod. "I'm going with you then," Vixey replied. Todd didn't want her to come with, but he didn't want to argue, "Okay, fine. The kids should be safe here until we get back".

The pair of foxes ran swiftly toward the direction of the sound, making sure to not be seen by any of their adversaries. As they neared the site, they took to the trees, as they were more hidden and safe than the ground below. They could make out a couple voices from below.

"You see anything yet?"

"Nope".

"Blast it, I thought for sure we'd kill something by now".

"Just keep searching. One of those dumb animals is bound to appear nearby."

A couple minutes passed. The furry duo thought that they were safe, and dropped to the ground. Only to be met by the snarling growl of an angered hound dog!

"At last! Some prey for me to slay!" snarled the predator. Tod and Vixey were both pinned to the forest floor. Escape was impossible. "Unfortunately for you two, hounds never let their catch go!" continued the hound. Tod had to figure out how to escape, and fast. "Th- That's not true! I knew a hound who wasn't such a bully! As a matter of fact, we were friends!". "Hahaha," the beast laughed, "that's impossible! No hound would hang out with a filthy animal like you! Who was this hound? Might as well have some fun with my prize!". Todd whimpered, "his name was… Copper". This took the hound by surprise. "Copper is the name of the best darn hunting dog in the region. Are you seriously making this up? You expect me to have pity on you, for saying you know a vicious hound?".

The hound paused. "What does this hound look like, freak of nature?". Trying his best to remember his old friends most prominent features, Tod replied, "Well, he was yellowish I guess. With brown spots. Also, his collar was blue and he was kind of soft-spoken. His idol, Chief was— "

"Okay, that's enough!" Shouted the hound. "Maybe you do know Copper. However, since this was so entertaining, I've decided to let you two go! But if we cross paths, I'll make sure to end your lives!

"Uhh… thanks," Vixey said. "Yeah, that hound isn't too bright," whispered Tod. The pair ran back toward their log. When they arrived at their log however, there was nothing except smoke and fire.

"Oh no! No!" Tod cried, "the hunters got to our kids! This is all my fault!" Vixey did her best to comfort him, putting her paw on Tod's back, "No, it was my fault! I should have stayed with the kids while you surveyed the area!"

"But then, you'd be dead too… I don't know which scenario is worse," Todd said. "This is how mother nature treats us. There's nothing we can do Vixey." A tear streamed down Vixey's cheek. "It's like how me and Copper lost connection. It wasn't the way nature wanted things", he sobbed. "But for once in my life, I was happy. And now, the world has taken that moment away…".


	2. Part I Chapter 1: Scoot

Part I: Troubled Beginnings

Chapter 1: Scoot

March 1983

Amos Slade was out on his rocking chair, holding his prized shotgun. He liked to remember the good old days, with him and his dog Chief hunting the wildlife. They were a happy couple. Until one day, he brought home a young Hound puppy and named it Copper. It's not that Copper was a bad dog, it's just that Copper got into a lot of trouble with a local tamed forest critter.

Amos made it his goal, to put a bullet through that Critter, for causing Chief to get nearly killed by a train. Until one day, that critter taught him a valuable lesson. That critter, a fox, had a special bond with Copper, unbeknownst to Amos. It had saved him from a giant bear, and in return, Copper blocked Slade's shotgun, saving the fox from a bloody death.

But the most important aspect of Amos' struggle with the fox: it taught him a valuable lesson: revenge is never the answer, and trying to enact revenge will just make even bigger problems. He still didn't realize the friendship that the two had. One day, he would though.

In a way, Amos respected the fox. Widow Tweed, his neighbor, raised it. She and Amos are friends now. He promised widow that he would not shoot any guns on the property of their farms. After all, their farms were now in a newly developed Suburban subdivision. Half the forest disappeared. Guns were legal, but they would disturb the other families in their suburbia. The town seemed to be built in what seemed like a year!

Widow Tweed lived to the right of Amos. To the left, his Son and Grandson would move into a brand-new home. They were both avid hunters, and were sometimes a challenge to Amos himself! They were city folk though, and rarely had the time to go on long hunting trips. Amos realized that it was about time to "pass the torch" to the next heir in the family line.

About a year ago, Amos acquired another hound dog, however, this one was female. Her fur was mostly white, with small hints of gray. He decided to call her Daisy. Copper, on the other hand, had a certain affection for Daisy. They fell in love with each other, and produced two puppies, one of each gender. They were now about a month old. The girl, Amos named himself. Shadow. She was black as the night, and was extremely hard to find in the dark, so the name fit her perfectly!

The male puppy, however, was going to be Amos' grandson, Alex's dog. Yesterday, the puppy got its name. Alex noticed that the puppy loved to scoot around on the floor, so he named him "Scoot". Scoot looked nothing like his sister. He was mostly white, with the odd brown spot here or there. One covered part of his face.

"Dad, do I really have to leave home and live with other people?" Scoot asked. Copper replied, "Kid, you are living next door! You aren't leaving! Calm down!". "Oh… okay," Scoot mumbled, embarrassedly.

Just then, Amos and Alex appeared by the hounds. "Alex, play with your puppy for a bit. I need to go talk to your father about something," explained the elder. Amos started to walk away. "Hey, Grandpa, I have to go to school in an hour and I'll be gone for seven hours every day. Will Scoot be okay if I leave him here?" asked Alex. "Yeah, he should be fine!" Amos shouted.

Alex knelt on the ground, so he could play with his puppy. He started rubbing Scoot's belly "You're going to be a great hunting dog, Scoot! I just know it!" Alex exclaimed. Scoot smiled at the thought, _I'm going to be the best hunting dog in the region! Just like my dad!_

Alex played some more with Scoot, running around the farm, and playing catch with the young hound. Soon enough, however, he had to leave for school. He loved playing with his dog, but college was also important. "See ya later Scoot! Don't get in too much trouble, ok!" Alex said, as he left the farm to go to school.

Scoot watched as his owner's car drove away, before disappearing into the unknown. _Great. Now what am I going to do? I'm going to be bored out of my mind!_

The weather was pleasant for most of the afternoon. Copper and Chief were busy with Amos, Daisy and Shadow were napping outside the barn, and Scoot did nothing but lay in his doghouse. He just stayed there for most the day. Then it started to rain. Scoot didn't like when it rained, because it made him feel lonely. Not only that, but he was deathly scared of thunderstorms. He crawled further into his doghouse, begging the rain to go away. This was the average day for Scoot, except sometimes it didn't rain.

Every night, the Slade family would hold a bonfire in their yard. Infrequently, the Widow would join them. Alex would come home from school around this time. Copper, Chief, Daisy and both puppies would sit on the opposite side of the humans. Today, however, Scoot wasn't in the right mood.

"Hey son," Copper said to Scoot, "how was your day?". Scoot complained, "It was so so SO boring! There was no one to play with, so I just laid in my doghouse the whole time. Then, it started to rain! Where were you? I NEEDED YOU!". There was silence for a few seconds.

"Pipe it down kid, "whispered Copper, "I'm sorry you were all alone, but I had to go into town with my master. He gets paid to train puppies in hunting! The season starts in six months, which gives him plenty of time to recruit". "So, what does this have to do with me?" replied Scoot. Copper laughed, "You'll have some new buds soon! In a couple weeks or so— "

"A couple WEEKS?" Interrupted Scoot, "I have to wait a couple weeks for somebody to play with? I want a friend NOW!". The little puppy started bawling. Copper felt bad for his son. He was in almost the same situation when he was a pup. Well, sort of; Copper wouldn't let Scoot know his secret yet.

"I'll tell you what," started Copper, "during the weekend, if our masters aren't around, I'll take you for a walk in the forest, and get you a head start on your huntin'. Sound good pal?" "I... I guess", replied the baby hound. It really didn't make up for his time spent alone, but at least his dad was trying to make the situation better.

Just then, a flash of light appeared in the sky above! "A shooting star!" exclaimed Alex's dad, Liam, "Everybody make a wish!"

"I wish for a great hunting season come fall!"

"I wish for our little Scoot to be the best hunting hound there is!"

"I wish to do good in college, while spending time with my puppy."

"I wish your family all the best, Amos."

The dogs were making wishes too!

"I hope you show Alex and Amos how great you two puppies will be!", said Chief.

"I just want my children to stay safe in their hunts", said Daisy.

"I couldn't have said it better myself!", exclaimed Copper.

"I hope our new friends like playing tag! I know we're huntin' dogs, but we gotta play too!" Shadow stated.

It was Scoot's turn next. He asked for the one thing he ever wanted, completely different from anyone else's wish, "I… I… I"—Scoot started to cry again—"I want a friend."

This took the other hounds by surprise. "What do… you mean by a f… friend?", curiously asked Chief.

Scoot proudly continued, "Easy. Someone to play with. Someone to run around with. Someone who doesn't care who I am or think I should be. A friend who will understand my problems, and in return I understand theirs. Someone I can count on, to help me in my time of need. In return, I help them. When I'm lonely or sad, that friend would be there to cheer me up!" Scoot paused for a second, then finished his rambling, "and THAT is the kind of friend I wish for."

Copper was shocked. Surely, his son was having a problem with his loneliness. His rant however, made him feel a little uneasy. Finally, copper spoke, "be careful what you wish for son. A friend that perfect would come with other complications." "What do you mean", scoot cracked, "didn't you have _friends_ growing up, Dad? Don't you understand where I'm coming from?"

Copper got up, and started to walk away. He responded as he was leaving, "Sadly, I do."


	3. Chapter 2: Be Careful What You Wish For

Chapter 2: Be Careful What You Wish For

Thursday, 3 days later

 _Maybe being lonely isn't so bad. I mean, I have time to think to myself. But, I'd rather have a friend_. Scoot was going insane. Not only was it raining, but it was pouring! And lightning out! It was the worst storm Scoot had ever seen! "MAKE IT STOP!" Scoot cried, "I DON'T LIKE YOU RAIN!".

Suddenly, Scoot had the urge to just run out in the rain. He couldn't take the loneliness anymore. And so, he ran. He ran, far into the bushes on the edge of their property. At that moment, however, a lightning bolt extremely close startled him. He fell through the bushes, into the grass on the other side. He hit his head on the ground, and became unconscious.

...

"Hey, you alright?" a young voice asked, "you nearly drowned in that mud puddle!". Scoot cracked open his eyes. The sun was finally out. In front of him was a bright orange young animal, wearing a small red hat over its head. "No, I'm not!" replied Scoot "I have nothing to do, no one to talk to, and nowhere to be! I just want to be dead!".

"Well, that's a bit… extreme kid. I never knew a hound dog could be so… fragile," said the orange creature.

This peaked Scoot's interest, "how do you know what I am? As a matter of fact, I don't even know what YOU are, KID!?". The young animal responded, "ha, first of all, it's technically 'kit' not 'kid'. Secondly, I'm a fox. Which leads into your third question: my dad showed me a hunting crew with dogs that look just like you! Only bigger!".

Scoot was getting annoyed at his little assailant, but he realized he had someone to talk to now, "You're a fox!? My Dad and Uncle said that your kind are evil! That we are supposed to hunt you guys down!".

The little fox cub laughed, "Dude, that is all true! Except for the ah… evil part. Don't know how that fits in but uh… you know. Can't break the prejudice out of someone!" The fox paused, then continued, "anyway, you looked like you needed some help, so I stuck around, despite being uh… unable to find the exact way home."

"So, you're lost," said Scoot. "I'm not lost!" shouted the cub, "I just… don't remember the way back in the… quickest way… poss… ible?"

"Face it kid, err… kit, you're lost! Lost lost lost LOST!" mocked the puppy. This little fox was fun to tease. Yet, he wondered why his family thought his kind were evil. This little fella wasn't _that_ bad!

The fox kit started to get angry, "Ok, so maybe I AM lost. Does me admitting that change the situation? No, it doesn't. So, maybe you could help me? You know, since I helped you. From your wallowing depression, it seems."

Scoot thought for a moment. This fox kid wanted his help. But, he couldn't help the fox, because he was supposed to be his enemy. Or, _wait a minute. Is this guy my 'enemy'? If he helped me I should return the favor._

 _Someone I can count on, to help me in my time of need. In return, I help them._

 _Wait a minute_ , thought Scoot, _Can I turn this_ 'enemy' _into my 'friend'?_

Scoot answered the kits plead, "You know what, I'll help you. But in return, I want you to remember where we are right now. I want to see you every day over here. Deal?".

The fox was shocked. A little scared even. "Wait, you want me to… hang out with… you?" the fox questioned, "You mean be like… friends?" the kit paused.

"I mean, I'm d- d- down with that. It's just you shouldn't be so demeaning. My friends are gone for a while, so I guess having someone else to play with would be cool."

Scoot replied, "Yeah, I guess that was a little harsh. I'm just lonely, that's all."

"Well, as of now" continues the cub, "so am I. I don't know if my Dad would be ok with it. Ya know what? I don't really care! We should totally hang out!"

Scoot was ecstatic, he had a friend now and wouldn't be lonely anymore! "Come on! Let's get you back home!" Scoot said, "Hey, wait a minute! What's your name? My name's Scoot."

"My name is Capper," said the young fox, "but you can just call me Cap!"

"Huh, that's funny, the puppy said, "kinda near my dad's name!"

"That's kinda cool I guess…," the fox returned. He wanted to change the subject though, "Let's just go! My Dad will be worried sick!".

And so, the two new "friends" started to walk through the forest. They also had a nice chat. "You got any brothers or sisters?" asked the puppy, "I have a sister. Her name is Shadow and she's completely black."

"Yeah, I have a sister," replied the fox, "she's… like… the complete opposite of me."

"How so?" asked the puppy.

The fox continued, "I'm orange and white. And she's white and orange. Get it? Like a complete color shift. I guess that's why my parents named her Lily".

"Well that's kinds cool!" exclaimed Scoot, "It's like… her appearance is different, but she's still the same cause she's a fox!"

"Yeah!" shouted the fox, "It's kinda like us! We are different species, yet we can talk and figure out our differences and similarities! Gee, having you as a friend is kind of cool!"

"You too!" said Scoot.

The dubious duo continued walking.

"Hey! I think I know my way back from here!" Cap said.

"Cool! I'll see you tomorrow then, _friend_ ," Scoot said back.

The two smiled at each other, then walked their separate ways.

...

At the bonfire, Copper could not figure out why his son was **so** happy. He wanted to find out, though.

"Scoot".

"Yeah dad?"

"Come over to the side of the barn, I wanna talk to you". Scoot obliged, and they both went to the side of the barn, away from everyone else.

"Alright, so what's going on?" asked Copper.

"I got a friend dad! I wasn't lonely today!" said Scoot, happily.

"Well I'm _happy_ for you son! Say, who is this 'friend' of yours?" questioned the father.

"Uhm… he's different from us dad. But I hurt myself in the grass behind the bush and he rescued me."

"So, it's a forest animal? A game animal?"

"Yeah, I guess, but he was really nice to me. He looks to be about my age too."

"Ahh, I see," copper sighed, "look son, I'm alright with you having forest friends! Just don't bring them near the house."

"Why?" asked Scoot, "are they going to be dangerous?" Copper thought for a moment on how he should answer his question, "No, our masters are a danger to them. We are supposed to hunt them, remember?".

"You mean, we k- kill them?" asked Scoot, bewildered.

"Yes, but you don't _have_ to", Copper reassured his son. He had more to add though, "look, Scoot. I had a friend from the forest too. I mean, he wasn't raised in the forest, but he was raised next door. His name was Tod, and when we were kids, we would play hide and seek and splash in the pond next to the Widow's house."

"Really?!" questioned the puppy.

Copper continued, "eventually, it was time to go hunting, and I never said goodbye. But then, we changed. The next Spring, I came back a hunting dog. But I still didn't want to hurt my friend. He came over to talk one night, and Chief went berserk. My master, Amos you know, wanted so hard to kill my friend. He thought he was there to steal the chickens."

"But he was really just wanting to see you. Right dad?"

"Right son!" Copper continued, I found him hiding under a rock, and told him I don't 'wanna see him get killed'. So I left, and he ran up the mountain, toward those train tracks over there". Copper pointed to the bridge in the distance, now including rails on the sides. He continued, "Chief chased him onto the track, a train came, and my friend Tod ducked under the train. Chief however, you know, broke his leg."

"So THAT'S why Chief's leg is so messed up!" exclaimed Scoot.

"Precisely", the older hound continued, "I told Tod that if I ever saw him again, I would kill him. His owner found him, my master tried to shoot him at her house. So, she took him to the game reserve, where he couldn't be hunted. He found love, and started a new life."

"Well, I guess that's not so bad, right?" asked the puppy.

"No! It gets worse! Me and Amos snuck into the game reserve with traps, to kill Tod. It just so happened that we ran into a bear, Tod killed it at a waterfall, and we tracked him down."

"Wait, dad, did you kill your friend Tod?" interrupted Scoot.

"Just wait kid", replied Copper, before continuing his long tale, "I watched on the bank, as I watched my friend struggling to get up on the lake shore. I didn't attack him. I whispered his name, and he looked over to me. Then, my owner pulled the shotgun out. I knew what needed to be done."

"YOU LET AMOS KILL YOUR FRIEND!?" screamed the puppy.

"Scoot quiet down! I never told anyone this!" copper yelled at his son. Scoot calmed down, and Copper finished his story, "No Scoot, I jumped the gun. I protected him. I realized what a jerk I've been, and how our Nature set to divide us. I rebelled. Amos realized that, and he and I left. Me and Tod haven't talked since then, but I see him and his mate overlooking us on the hill to the North every once and awhile. I just stay quiet. It's better that way." A single tear dropper from Copper's eye.

"So," Scoot replied, "you are the meanest hunting dog around, but you have a secret relationship with a forest critter. I never thought you'd be _that_ cool dad."

"Yeah son," said Copper, "pretty cool. Anyways, who is this friend of yours?".

"Oh," Scoot said, "he's a fox named Cap, or Capper. Sounds like your name, right? He has this cool little red hat he wears."

This got Copper a little worried, "your friend is a fox? That's interesting. Keep him away from Chief! Otherwise, don't tell anyone we had this conversation."

Copper paused.

"However, I wanna meet this _friend_ of yours. Saturday sound ok?"

"As… long as you don't hurt him," scoot sighed.

"I promise Scoot, I won't hurt a friend of yours!"

Copper had a sneaking suspicion: _my kid, met a fox. Could it be?_ Copper sighed, _maybe we will meet again old friend._


	4. Chapter 3: Breaking the Rules

Chapter 3: Breaking the Rules

Friday

"Bye Scoot! See you tonight!" Alex called. Scoot made a happy bark, and ran towards the field, where he met Cap. _Alright, it's a new day! Time to go play!_ Scoot thought. _I wonder when that kid will be here?_

Scoot waited for a couple seconds in the field. _Is he going to ditch me?_ He didn't have to wait long for his answer, as the Fox kit popped out of the bushes!

"BOO!" Cap shouted. Scoot stumbled back and fell, surprised by the fox's sneak "attack". "Did I scare yah?" jeered the orange animal. "Kinda," Scoot admitted, but I'm not afraid to admit it! Like you when you were lost— "

"OH, cut it out already! It was a stupid situation!"

After a couple seconds of silence, Scoot continued.

"So, what do you want to do, _friend?_ " asked the puppy, "we could play tag, hide and seek, I got a ball that we can throw around a bit. Whatever you wanna do, ya know?"

"Well, there's only two of us" replied the fox, "so tag would be dumb, unless you could get your sister. Hide and seek could work, or tossing things around too."

"Ok, so let's play hide and seek then!" exclaimed Scoot, "you hide, and I'll count!"

"Alright pal, but I'm really good at this game! I'm warning ya!" Cap said.

"You have too much pride, fox! We'll see who's victorious. Now go hide!" Scoot started to count, "I… 2… 3… 4… 5… 6… 7… 8… 9… TEN! Ready or not, here I come!"

The young hound started his hunt. He looked in the bushes first. _Nope, not there,_ he thought. He checked by the pond. _This area is clear, where could that little cub be?_ He continued searching for what seemed like an hour.

"Okay, I give up" the hound confessed, "you win! Now, where the heck is you?" "Above your head the whole time!" a faint voice called out.

"Huh" Scoot questioned.

Then he looked up, to see his new friend smiling, full of glee, happy he outfoxed the hound.

"That's not fair! I can't climb trees!" shouted Scoot.

"Really?!" asked the fox, "I didn't know you couldn't climb."

"Doesn't that give you an unfair advantage?" asked Scoot, "I can't really see you if I can't climb trees!"

"Kid, all you had to do was look up!" laughed Cap, "I was watching you the whole time."

Scoot felt a little embarrassed. _So, foxes can climb trees easily? Good for them I guess. They need to evade hunters and hounds somehow._ Scoot thought for a moment. _Hey! What if Cap showed me how to climb trees, and I can show him tricks that hunting dogs use, in case he gets in trouble some day!_

"Yoh, Cap. Any way you can show me how to climb a tree?" Scoot asked his friend. "Why? Can you even climb being a dog?" the fox asked.

"It's worth a shot, isn't it?" the puppy replied. Cap responded, "why would I show a future killing machine how to climb trees? It's a tactic we fox use to evade you!"

"Because," Scoot said, "I can show you tricks that hounds use, in case you are ever in danger! And you called me a future killing machine? I'm not going to hurt you, we're friends, remember?"

"Yeah about that," the fox replied, "I don't know if I can trust you in the future, Scoot. I know some things that you don't, about foxes and hounds. My dad told me about his childhood, and it didn't work out for him, being friends with a hound. That's why we live in the forest here, to stay away from your kind." Cap paused. "We are breaking the rules of our nature, you know that, right? I'm just saying, we need to be cautious of each other, as we are natural enemies."

Scoot pondered on Cap's speech: _it's true, we are supposed to be enemies, but we're friends! Why does that have to change? I don't care about what the world wonts, I'm happy right now with my buddy Capper!_

"You're right," the hound stated, "we are supposed to be enemies. But, if we can help each other overcome our natural boundaries, then we don't need to obey our _mother_ nature. I want to help you, Cap, so let me show you some hound tricks, if you need to escape in the future. I know some now, but I can show you more when I learn them in the future!"

The fox sighed, "Urgh… you are persistent. Fine, that's awfully nice of you, Scoot. You make me think that a hound friend might not be so bad after all".

"And now I know that you foxes aren't nasty vermin!" scoot said, "it's just what my family said, and I choose to ignore it! Now, come on! I'll show you in detail how we track game!"

Cap agreed, _maybe this won't be so bad,_ he thought, _maybe he can know my secret, if he's trying to help me out. After all, poor kid's lonely as sin, doesn't seem like he wants to hurt me._

As the next few hours passed, Scoot showed Capper all that he knew of his hunting techniques. Also, yes, Cap taught Scoot how to climb trees. _Sort of._

"So yeah," Scoot said, "the main goal is to force the hounds to lose your scent! Once you accomplish that, then they can't track you as easily… and you can escape!"

"Well that's helpful Scoot," his furry orange friend replied, "you showed me a lot today. I definitely feel a lot safer now! Will all these tricks work on all hunting dogs?"

"Yeah, but there are a few exceptions though, like my dad, who _never_ loses track of his prey." Cap had a worried look on his face after that last remark. Scoot seemed to notice, "but don't worry!" he continued, "my dad would never track someone like you! In fact, he wants to meet you!"

"Wait… WHY would your dad of all things, want to meet ME?" asked Cap, "if he is a full-blown killing machine, he wouldn't spare anything!"

"Cap, it's ok!" Scoot reassured his friend, "my dad said I could play with you, we just have to be safe behind the brush!"

"That's strange, I wonder why?" Cap replied.

"He had a tamed friend from the forest when he was little!" Scoot said.

That statement hit Cap like a stack of bricks, _there's something_ _ **SUPER**_ _fishy here,_ he thought _._

There was silence for a few seconds.

"Scoot," Cap broke the ice, "do you live at that farm between that other farm and new house?".

"Yes, why?"

"Ok, I'm going to tell you **a secret** , don't tell anyone, not even your dad, ok?"

"I promise".

"Good," the fox continued, "Cap is an alias, it's not my real name… well, it's based off my real name."

"Really?" Scoot questioned.

"When I was _real_ little, I found a truck on the side of the road that lost a shipment of hats. There were many colors there. Anyways, I stole this red one".

"How is that important?" Scoot asked.

"Well, you see, Cap is another name for a hat. So, I based my nickname off that. Also, what kind of hunter would shoot an animal with a cute little hat?"

"Yeah, I get it now, the hat protects you in a way, right"?

"Exactly," Capper continued, "and I said my full name was Capper. But before I continue, you can't tell this to _anyone_ , ok?

"I said I promise, Cap."

"Ok," the fox sighed, "I'm named after an old friend of my father's. Well, my _real_ name at least. This friend saved his life, and disobeyed his hunter. And… if your father told you anything, you know where I'm going with this, right?

"I don't know, maybe. I gotta think about it".

"You won't have to ponder about it Scoot, I'm sharing this secret with you. Your dad told you about a tamed forest friend! Did he say what kind of forest friend he had?"

"Uhm" Scoot said, "no, but he told me his name. He went into detail about why he lost his friend. Where are you going with this anyway?"

"Ok, Scoot, I'll lay the bait," the fox continued, "recognize these words or names? Train. Bridge. Chief. Copper. Tod. Slade. Widow. Bear."

"I recognize those words from the story, but I'm confused."

"Alright, let's continue," Cap continued, "the animal that your dad was friends with was a fox."

"How do you know?" Scoot asked, confused.

"A little slow ehh?" the fox teased, "alright, we're at the end here." Cap paused, and looked his friend right in the eyes. "Your dad's name is Copper."

"How do you know that?" Scoot asked, surprised.

"Let's piece all the information together, of the story," Capper continued, "I'm named after an old friend of my father's. This friend saved his life, and disobeyed his hunter. The animal that your dad was friends with was a fox. I'm a fox. Get it?"

"I… don't really know? H- how do you know what my dad said Cap, you're scaring me."

"I'll finish then," Cap continued. "Your dad's name is Copper, and he's a hound dog, with a mentor named Chief, right?"

"Yeah… and you know this…"

"Ok, Chief got hit by a train because your dad's friend, an animal, ran onto the tracks."

"Mmm hmm." Scoot remembered his dad's words from the previous night: _Chief chased him onto the track, a train came, and my friend Tod ducked under the train. Chief however, you know, broke his leg._

An evil smirk came across Cap's face, revealing his sharp teeth. "So, your dad's friend's name is Tod."

"Wait a second Cap…I'm … starting to piece it together, give me a moment."

"We don't have time," cap went on, "but here's the end of the little story kid."

Cap paused, then continued, "my father's name is Tod."

"NO WAY!" shouted Scoot.

 _Tod is his dad's name, my dad had a friend named Tod._

Cap continued, "And let's summarize everything from the story, ok? I'm named after an old friend of my father's. This friend saved his life, was a hound, and disobeyed his hunter, Slade. This friend blocked his friend Tod, a fox, from being shot. Your dad's name is Copper."

Then it clicked.

"No way! You… you are…," Scoot mumbled.

Cap got close to Scoot's ear.

"My name is Copper".


	5. Chapter 4: Tricks and Traps

A/N: Even though Cap's name is Copper, he will still be referred to as Cap in writing, as not to be confused with Copper the hound dog.

X25Z56: "has the fire already happened when Scoot and Cap met?"

Yeah, the main story takes place the year after the prologue. Tod's first children were killed, you'll find out more in part 2 (which is a while away, but I'm starting to write it. I won't post a new chapter until I'm at least five ahead).

 **Chapter 4: Tricks and Traps**

Friday, Bonfire

 _My dad and Copper's dad know_ each _other. He knew a lot about the story, but I wanna verify it somehow. But, I promised him I wouldn't tell my dad._

"Hey sport! How was your day with Cap?" Copper asked.

"Uhm… it was cool. We showed each other some tricks."

"Like what?"

"Well," Scoot felt a little uneasy, "I showed him how to _avoid_ hounds and hunters, and he showed me how to climb trees!"

"Well that's nice," Copper said, "you seem like your bein' a pretty good friend then."

"I also told him that you don't lose your prey, but you would be forgiving to him," Scoot continued.

"You did?" asked Copper, startled, "I won't try to kill him Scoot, but if he is out in the open when we're hunting, then he's fair game."

"Well," interrupted Scoot, "I know something you don't dad. So, I know you won't _ever_ touch him. Didn't you want to meet him tomorrow?"

"Yeah, I did". Copper paused. "You have a secret? I won't ask Scoot, but if it's important let me know."

"I promised I wouldn't tell anybody, dad."

"And that's ok, loyalty is a great thing son. I wish I was more like you when I was younger."

 _Uhm, dad. You saved Cap's father. Isn't that pretty loyal?_

"Dad" Scoot asked, "what kind of an animal was your friend Tod?"

"Why does that matter? He was a fox, son" Copper replied.

 _Well I guess that confirms it then. Copper er… Cap really is Tod's son!_

"Look kid," Copper continued, "you boys just have to stay out of trouble! Don't worry, Cap will be safe if he doesn't come over _here!_ We hunt animals, remember. It's in our blood, and you can't change that!"

"I know dad, I just want to make sure I don't… hurt… him".

"I know son. Believe me, I know."

"I understand completely, dad. Honest."

"Good," said Copper. "get some sleep. Alex will be home tomorrow, since it's the weekend."

"Ok, goodnight dad!"

The two of them were so preoccupied, they didn't notice two of the hunters walking toward the bushes, with hands full of bear traps.

Liam and Alex Slade were walking through the brush. "So, you think we might catch something, dad?" asked Alex. He was holding another trap. "Something is bound to come over here, Alex," said Liam, "I want to catch something, then you can show it to Scoots. When all is said, and done, shoot whatever is in the trap, and take the hide to the shed".

"And if we don't catch anything dad—"

"Just give it time! Hunters need to be patient!"

They set the traps on the edge of the forest.

 _This is kind of cruel,_ Alex thought, _I'll give whatever gets trapped a swift death, they don't deserve the pain. I just gotta show Scoot how we use these traps, then I'll never have to use them again._

Alex was a hunter, but he was not likened to use inhumane tactics to kill game.

Little did he know, his puppy got along with one of them.

A/N: Short chapter, but the next one is a lot longer! Stay tuned!


	6. Chapter 5: The Hunter

Chapter 5: The Hunter

Saturday

The field behind the Slade Residence

"So yeah," said Scoot, "Our parents know each other, based on the story."

Cap started to talk, "yeah, seems obvious now, doesn't it! Too bad they probably won't ever see eye-to-eye."

"Aren't they friends though, Copper? I mean… Cap. I'm still calling you Cap, that would be confusing anyway."

Cap smiled, which quickly turned into a frown. "They aren't friends _anymore._ "

"WHAT?!" shouted Scoot, "my dad called him a FRIEND in his story, why can't they still be friends?"

"Because of our nature, buddy. They can't meet again, and if the hunters are with your Dad, then it's over," Cap stated, "the closest my dad gets to seeing his friend, is climbing on those rocks on the North, with Vixey, my Mom. He likes to check up on how his old _friend_ is doing. He'd rather Copper didn't know he was there."

"That makes sense I guess", Scoot replied, "Chief would tear him apart."

"Yeah, it's kind of sad," continued Cap, "but that's how the world goes I suppose. Your dad probably hasn't seen mine for _years_ , way before we were born".

"That's not true!" interrupted Scoot, "my dad told me he sees Todd when he watches over us, but he remains silent!"

"Well that's very unusual Scoot," the fox was now kicking a ball around that Scoot brought, "maybe they can be friends again, but I wouldn't bet on it."

Cap was now walking toward the forest, "Still, it's very odd how you are left with the same problem as your father. When we grow up, and situations arise, will you kill me? Or will you let me go?"

"Why would I want to kill you?" asked Scoot, surprised, "I don't care about someone like Chief, who would chase a poor animal onto train tracks. There's no one in my family who I care about, that is even that _vicious_."

"Yeah, but what about your _sister_?"

"My… sister?"

"Yeah, she doesn't know we're _friends_ , Scoot. What if she were to attack me, and I defended myself? That would probably turn you against me."

Scoot thought for a minute. _I should tell Shadow about Cap. She's usually good about keeping secrets._

"I can tell my sister about you," Scoot responded, "I think she'll understand.

"That might be ok Scoot. But let me make myself clear," Cap continued, "our parents can never meet again. Ever. They can't know about us; that their sons are playing together. It will just cause problems. This right here, is between you and _me_. Comprende?"

"I understand," said Scoot, "the secret children of the fox and hound won't ever be revealed!"

"Good, anyway, how far can you kick this ball?" Cap challenged.

Scoot walked back a couple meters, before sprinting head first into the ball. It flew a good 15 meters, before landing next to a tree.

"Not too bad, kid," Cap said, as he started walking toward the ball, "now, see how far I—"

The sound of a metal object snapping shut was heard. Cap screamed. Scoot saw in horror, as his friend was caught in a bear trap.

"OH, MY GOSH!" scoot screamed, "ARE YOU OK"?

"MY TAIL IS CAUGHT IN THIS TRAP, DO YOU THINK?"

"I'm going to call for help! AWOOOOOOOOOH!" Scoot howled.

"No, you idiot!" Cap snapped, "don't call your hunters, they probably set this trap and want to kill me."

"Oh no! You're right!" Scoot cried, "what have I done? Alex probably heard me!"

"Well now I'll just wait patiently for dear Death, thanks for the help pal!"

"Hey, I don't wanna see you get killed, Cap! I'll think of something".

"If that something doesn't involve attacking your hunters, then it might as well **not** be thought of! I'm surprised this thing missed any bones!"

Shouting could be heard in the distance.

Well, "Cap whined," looks like our friendship lasted a whole three days! That's two less days then our parents being childhood friends. At least we set a record!"

"Just… Chill out Cap…"

"I am going to die… Scoot."

"Maybe not".

"You think they'll feel sorry for me? There's not a fox's chance in heck!"

"Maybe they will."

"Or maybe, they'll be nice, and shoot me dead. That would be quick and painless."

"I DON'T WANT THEM TO KILL YOU CAP!" Scoot yelled, "Don't you get it?"

"You seem to be doing quite the contrary, friend. We all make stupid mistakes, it's ok," Cap paused, "but if I'm dead, I can't forgive you for _this."_

Scoot pondered, _how can I show Alex I don't want him to kill Cap?_ Scoot thought for his friend's life. Then, the lightbulb went off in his head. _I got it! I know how to save Copper!_

"SCOOT! Where are you!"

It was Alex's voice.

 _Here it goes,_ Scoot thought _._

Alex came through the bush. "There you are little guy!" he said, "what are you doing out here by yourself—"

Alex noticed the fox cub in the trap. "You found some game? Good job boy!"

Cap stared in horror, as Alex drew out his shotgun. "Poor little guy," Alex cooed, "you don't deserve this. "Alright Scoot, you hunt them down, then we kill 'em. Like this."

Alex cocked his shotgun.

 _Now's my chance_! thought Scoot.

He ran over to Cap, and sat right next to him. The fox was bewildered by this action, "what are you doing dork?" Cap whined, "the shell spread will hit you too!"

"Uhm, Scoot" Alex called, "you should probably back away!" Scoot stayed firm. "Come on Scoot, I don't want to shoot you too! I mean, I'm not going to… but, come here boy!" Alex whistled. And yet, Scoot remained next to Cap. He realized he was getting nowhere though. So, he executed his master plan:

He licked Cap on the cheek.

"EWW!" the fox screamed, "I've been licked by a hound! Just end the torture already, please dear lord!"

Scoot remained Calm. Alex's expression changed, from being full of anger, to one of understanding. He lowered his shotgun.

Alex couldn't believe it! His hound was stopping him from shooting a baby fox! Why would he do that? Alex remained silent, frozen even. He finally trembled, after a good minute, "Is this little guy your… friend, Scoot?" Scoot whined.

 _It worked!_ Scoot thought.

"Is this where you've been the past few days?" Alex continued, "playing with a fox, while I was at school?" He had a sad expression on his face. "That's ok, pal. I don't really want to hurt him! He's a baby!" Scoot walked by his friends caught tail, and whined.

"I'll get him unstuck, buddy, "Alex promised Scoot, "this is kind of weird though, but in a way, kinda cool."

Alex released the trap holding Cap. He then went around the perimeter, disarming all the other traps from the previous night. Cap remained still. "I'm…" he trembled, "I'm… not… DEAD! I'm not dead! Thanks Scoot! I forgive you… I guess."

"Told ya I didn't wanna see you get killed!" the hound cheerfully cried, "We're friends remember!"

"Yeah…" Cap happily sighed.

"Hey, Cap, you wanna see if my master will play ball with us?" asked Scoot, "maybe he will, since he knows we're friends now?" He retrieved his ball, and brought it to Alex.

"I don't know Scoot… I'm still recovering from a near death experience you know," replied Cap.

Alex grabbed the tennis ball from scoot. "You wanna play fetch boy?" he questioned. Then, he turned to Cap. "I bet you want to play too, don't ya little guy?" he motioned to Cap, "come here, fella, I won't hurt you." He tossed the ball in the air, which landed right next to Cap.

Cap stood frozen for a second, but realized that it might serve him better to go along with Alex. So, he ran towards the ball, and kicked it back to Alex.

"Your friend's kind of cute, Scoot" Alex said to his puppy, "doesn't seem like any of the other dumb foxes I've hunted. He seems to feel safe with you".

Alex reconsidered the situation he was in, _so my puppy is friends with a fox. It's kind of nice. I never knew these species could get along so well. At least he has someone to play with while I'm in school, and he's not moping around. Yep, I'll let the kit live._

"See Cap!" scoot exclaimed, "Alex really likes you!"

"You sure he likes me and not my _coat_?" Retorted Cap.

"He didn't shoot you, so that's a start".

"I guess so, Scoot. I guess so."

Alex continued playing with the two strange friends.

As the hour passed, Cap started warming up to Alex. He even let him get close enough to pet! Of course, he was startled by the friendly gesture, but he understood that Alex meant no harm.

"Alright Scoot," Alex called, "I'm gonna go now! Be careful with your friend!" He smiled at Cap. He could have sworn that the fox kit smirked at him, but he dismissed the idea.

"Oh, that's right! I just remembered something!" Shouted Scoot, "my dad was going to meet you today!"

"Oh yeah, Joy! Dad's best friend who nearly killed him, is meeting me. How charming."

"Relax, kit! Laughed Scoot, "he's not gonna hurt you! Maybe he wants to just make sure we're safe!"

It was now 3 PM. No one was home, except for the hounds. All the humans went into town, for groceries. They would be gone for a couple hours. The Kit and Pup continued to play, and Scoot was able to make it half way up a tree finally!

"See! You're doing it! Cap cheered, "Keep practicing!" Scoot found himself stuck on the tree. Trying to dislodge himself, he unfortunately fell backwards, and hit the ground on his back.

Cap was rolling on the forest floor laughing, "Dude, you need to make a safer… landing! Hahahahaha!" he giggled.

Just then, another voice was heard, "Scoot! You back here son?" It was Copper. "Oh yeah, of course you are! It's the perfect place to play! It's where I met Tod!"

Cap looked at Scoot. "Moment of truth, right pal?"

"Yeah," replied the hound, "here we go buddy!"

Copper came out of the brush, and found the two animals. He paused for a second, staring at Scoot, then at Cap, then at Scoot again.

"So, you must be Cap, right?" the older hound asked the fox.

"Yeah, and you must be Scoot's father, Copper!" replied Cap. "Right you are kiddo!" Copper continued, "you guys been getting along well? Why is Scoot on the ground on his back?"

"I'm showing the mutt how to climb trees," Capper smirked, "he can make it half way, but he's a dog so _you figure that out_."

Copper smiled, _this kid has an attitude, not unlike another fox I know, he thought_. Copper started again, "so Scoot told me he's teaching you all our secret hunting techniques. You know that won't stop me, right?" Copper's tone was serious now, "you gotta watch it kid. I may be a furry teddy bear now, but on the hunt, I don't. Have. A. Choice".

"I understand Mr. Copper," Cap replied, "you are the best hunting dog in the region, Scoot told me. It's obvious you can't be lenient at the same time".

Copper reflected on Cap's statement, "What if I'm just telling you this to scare you though? What if I don't want you to get hurt? Heck, I saved a fox once!"

Cap thought, _oh boy, here we go. You gonna tell me the story about how you almost killed dad? But you felt sorry for the sap, since he was broken from saving your sorry life?_

Cap said, "Yeah, I know. Scoot told me."

Copper smiled, "Did he? Or did you know this before? I'm curious Cap, what do you know about us hounds, that you don't want to tell me? You wanna trade secrets? We can do that".

 _Oh, heck! Cap thought, he's got me cornered, but I'm not giving in._

Scoot interrupted, "Uhh, dad, he doesn't know anything! Honest.

Copper was getting frustrated on the inside. _I just want to know, cap,_ he thought, _are you connected to Tod?_ He realized he was getting nowhere, but that was ok. The kids could keep their _secret_.

He surrendered, "fine, you can keep your secret. I just want to help though, understand that. No one else in our family would be so _kind_ to game animals. You should know that, Cap."

But then, Copper thought of a great comeback.

"Oh, and Cap", he asked, "did Scoot also tell you about the story I told him? About my old forest friend".

"Uhh, yeah, he did, "Cap trembled a reply.

 _I know you're lying, you little pest! But you're so damn hardheaded, it's like extracting information through a brick wall._ Copper continued, "so Tod, the Fox in the story. Do you think that we're still _friends?_ Despite not keeping in contact? I wanna know your opinion on this, Cap. You know, from a fox's perspective." _Of course, if this kid is related to Tod, and Tod told him about me, this will be Tod's answer._

"I… I don't think so sir." Copper was puzzled, while Cap continued, "I think nature forced you to split apart, and you can't really fight nature."

Copper smirked, _damn this kid is smart._ "What are you doing messing with a hound puppy then?"

"Oh", Cap said, "Scoot? He was lonely, and wanted a friend. My friends are away for a couple days, so I figured why not." Cap paused, then continued, "I feel pretty safe here actually. Even Scoot's master, Alex, seems to allow our friendship."

 _I didn't know that before!_ Copper thought, _the hunter allows the Hound to play with the game? Boy… times are changing. If only Amos was as forgiving back then…_

"You wanna know what that fox, Tod told me when we were younger?" Copper asked, but didn't expect a reply, "he said we will always be friends forever, and I agreed. You think a statement like that can stand the test of time?"

Cap reflected on Copper's speech, "Uhh, I don't know Mr. Copper, time is just another force of nature, which is once again, unbeatable."

Copper sighed, he was getting nowhere, "Scoot leave us for a minute, I won't hurt him. Me and Cap need a one-to-one, ok?"

"Uhh yeah," Scoot obliged, "be nice though."

"I will son. He's your friend."

Scoot left the full-blown hound, and the little fox.

 _There's no escaping this,_ thought Cap, _secrets must come out. But I can't let them meet again!_

"Ok," copper started, "Tell me about your parents. Where do they come from? Not their names, you won't reveal that, I know. You have siblings? How is your family?"

Cap bravely said, "My parents are fine, they have been through a lot. My dad grew up at some old lady's home, my Mom grew up in the forest, being hunted the first three months of her life. They lost two children to hunter's a year ago. I have one sister, and she is white and orange, unlike how I'm orange and white."

 _So, Tod's been through hell,_ Copper felt saddened _, poor fox. First, he loses me, then loses his kids. Awful. I'm gonna tell the kid I know his secret._

 _Here goes nothing_ , thought Copper, "I know you are Tod's son, Cap. The Old lady part gave it away."

 _uh oh, can't wiggle out of this one,_ thought Cap. "Ok, you got me," he sighed in defeat, "I am Tod's son. But you must understand sir, you can't meet again. Dad thinks you guys can't be friends anymore. I'm sorry."

Copper pouted at the Kit's response. Copper said, "I know Cap, I know. But at least, now we're being real with each other."

"Yeah, Copper, bein' real.." _What did I just say?!_

Copper started to walk away, but he left Cap one last note, "Oh, and Cap. I won't hunt you down. I don't want to hurt a child of a friend. You're safe with me." The hound left.

It was getting later in the afternoon, and Tod wanted Cap home earlier, so he left too.

 _I'll keep the secret from dad, he can't know I've been hanging out with hounds._

A/N: Still a bit more exposition to go, but part 1 is almost finished!


	7. Chapter 6: Generational Conflict

Chapter 6: Generational Conflict

Saturday, Afternoon

Slade Residence

Alex was still pondering what he saw that day, _Scoot is friends with a fox. We are supposed to kill foxes. That poor kit doesn't understand that he is playing with the enemy._ Alex then thought positively, _on the other hand, Scoot has never been happier! I can't play with him while he's at school, so maybe his little fox buddy is a blessing… regardless, I'm going to be keeping an eye on them._

Just then, Amos Slade sat down next to Alex, exhausted after a long day of work. Alex liked talking to his grandfather more than his father. Liam never hurt Alex, however, ever since Alex's mom died, he was a frequent alcohol abuser. Amos was crazy, but he never stooped that low.

"Is something on your mind, kid?", asked Amos. He noticed Alex's blank expression. "Nah, I'm fine!" replied his grandson."

Alex wanted to ask Amos about his puppy's fox friend, but he wanted to be discreet about it.

"Grandpa, I have a question".

"Go on, kid".

 _Alright,_ alex thought, _how do I ask this, without giving it away._ "So, hounds hunt animals right, grandpa?" "Alex, don't play dumb with me," Amos replied. "I know, but it leads into another question", Alex continued, "have you ever seen a hound _not_ kill a game animal? Like, tried to not kill it?"

Amos was wrapped in his thoughts, _yes, I have seen this before. "_ Yes, Alex I have seen a hound dog save an animal before." Amos paused, "In fact, it was Copper who wouldn't attack a fox."

 _Woah,_ Alex thought, _so Copper and his puppy seem to be kind to certain animals. I wonder why that is?_

"Tell me, grandfather. Why did Copper not attack the fox?"

"You really want to hear this boy?"

"Yeah!"

"Copper stopped me from killing a fox in the game reserve," Amos said, "Now, this fox was weak on the bank of a lake, and couldn't escape. So, for some confounded reason, Copper stepped between that rodent and my shotgun, and I was unable to kill it." Amos sighed, "that fox is the reason why Chief's leg is broke. He chased it onto that there railroad bridge! It belonged to tha Widow next store, and it wouldn't stop coming over to ma yard. I think it was trying to get ma chickens!"

"So," alex replied, "you hunted, _illegally,_ in the game reserve, to get revenge on a little animal? Seems kind of idiotic, if you think about it."

"I HAD A GOOD REASON TO DO IT, ALEX!" Amos shouted, "THAT DARN FOX DIDN'T DESERVE TO LIVE!" Amos calmed down, "But I realized, that I may have gone too far, Alex. So, I have a respect for that critter, Tod, who made me realize that revenge just got me into trouble. For some reason, that fox saved Copper and me from a bear. Maybe Copper realized that it saved his life."

The two of them stared in silence.

"Uhm, grandpa," Alex spoke, "can I tell you a secret, if you tell me something?" "I'll keep yer secret kid," replied Amos, "what's up?"

"Do you think that maybe Copper saved that fox; I think you said Tod was his name; because they were friends?"

"NONSENSE!", amos laughed, "A fox and a hound being friends? Are pigs flying ma boy? HAHahaha."

"I'm serious."

"Yer' crazy, Alex."

Alex sighed, _time to reveal the weird in the world. "_ Scoot has been lonely while I was gone, and there is no one here when I'm at school, so he's bored."

"And what does this have to do with yer dog, sonny?"

"Well I don't know if you'll believe this, but Scoot made a friend with a fox—"

"THAT'S IMPOSSIBLE!"

"It's not grandpa, Scoot's little fox kit friend got stuck in a bear trap, and he blocked me from shooting it," Alex paused, "kind of like how Copper saved that fox, Tod. Or… his friend?".

"This sounds crazy tah me kid! But, if what you are telling me is true, we gotta dispose of this here fox immediately".

"But," Alex stammered, "I don't want to hurt it. It's smarter than the other foxes we hunted. It seems to be friendly to me, too."

Amos was conflicted, _I kill those damn things! There shouldn't BE a fox on our property! And this kid thinks my Copper was friends with that rodent Tod? He's crazy! But, on the otherhand, there's nothing we can do about Scoot being lonely, so maybe I should let it slide for a while._

"Alrighty Alex, "Amos finally spoke, "I'll let the little fox live, but I don't want our hounds hanging out with the wildlife! I want to check on those fellas when I get the chance. _Then_ , we will plan from there. Sound good buddy?"

"Yeah, granddad, thanks for understanding."

"No problem kiddo, no problem… by the way, you should take Scoot hunting in tha forest tomorrow. Just a little trial. Ok?"

"I was planning that anyway!"

"Good, Alex. Now I'm 'onna go think about what yer said!"

Amos left, and Alex had time to think about their conversation. _Copper saved Tod from being killed. Scoot stopped me from killing a fox, also. Is there something with these animals that we don't understand?_

 _..._

 _Or maybe it runs in the family._


	8. Chapter 7: A Difficult Release

Chapter 7: A Difficult Release

Sunday, North Forest

Alex was taking Scoot and Shadow out hunting. He was planning to take them into the north forest. He wanted to see how the young hounds handled catching their prey. It was a gorgeous morning, perfect for a quick hunt!

"Alright! Scoot, Shadow, I want you guys to be on your best behavior in here! The forest is dangerous to little pups like you. But once you grow up, everything will be terrified of you! So, it all works out."

 _Boy,_ Scoot thought _, you almost have as much pride as Cap, Alex! I'm not going to catch anything today! I know how to hunt, dad told me, but I don't have any firsthand experience… I hope we don't run into that fox today… OH WAIT! I need to tell Shadow about Cap!_

"Uhh, sis," Scoot asked his sister, do me a favor, ok?"

"What you want Scoot?"

"If you see any little foxes today, don't go after them, mmkay?"

"Why?"

"Because it might be my friend, and I don't want him to get killed!"

"You have a … _fox_ as a friend bro? You're weirdin' me out!"

"I play with him during the week when no one's home... So… now I told you! We're good, right?"

"Uhm, I guess, stuttered Shadow, "what would dad say?"

"He knows!"

"Ok, then not my problem! No hunting little foxes then!"

"Thanks sis!"

The trio continued walking through the forest. Shadow became interested in a butterfly buzzing around. Scoot noticed, but he didn't pay attention. He really enjoyed the forest though. All the sounds of the insects, the wind blowing through the trees. Yeah, this was the place for a hound to be! He felt a little jealous toward his fox friend, who lived in the forest.

Suddenly, Shadow got the hint on something, "Scoot! I got something! Follow me!" She darted toward the scent. "WAIT!" her brother shouted behind her, "slow down sis!"

Meanwhile, Alex was having trouble keeping up with the hounds. _Brilliant! Now I'm going to lose them!_

Shadow kept chase, "I GOT IT! IT'S SO CLOSE! IT'S SO!—"

*WHAM!*

Shadow crashed into whatever she was chasing.

"Do you… mind? GET OFF ME!" her target yelled. Scoot recognized the voice, "C- c- Cap? What are you doing here?"

"I live here, are you serious? And thanks to your sister, I'm now going to have the Be-IGGEST headache today!" Cap groaned.

Shadow jumped up, startled by the fox, "WOAH! You know my brother?" The kit answered, "yeah, we're friends. You're _Shadow_ , right?" "Yep that's me!" the female hound proudly _declared_.

"Uhh.. sis," Scoot stammered, "we should _probably_ get back to Alex! He's training us, remember?"

"Yep! Good idea bro!"

The two hounds started to leave.

"Uh, guys?" Cap said, "Nice introduction I... guess. I think I'm gonna follow you!"

The two hounds ran back towards Alex, while the fox cub trailed behind them in the trees. However, what they saw when they ran back to Alex left Scoot a little worried. There, in the middle of the trail, was a red adult fox, having a stare-down with Alex, who had his gun primed and ready to fire. The two puppies were in the bushes, and they didn't notice that Cap jumped down from the trees.

" _Psst! Hey guys!"_

"Cap? Why did you follow us?" questioned Scoot.

" _That's my father right there!"_

 _uh oh,_ thought Scoot, _this doesn't look good._

Scoot bolted out of the bush and met up with Alex, and Shadow followed. All three were staring at the animal in the middle of the road.

"Hey guys! You wanna help me get this guy?" Alex said.

"What do we do now?" asked Shadow.

" _Just don't do anything_ ," whispered Scoot. He didn't want the adult fox to hear him.

Alex noticed his hound puppies weren't doing anything, "uh guys! ATTACK! Do something… please? I won't do anything until you attack guys, you won't miss out, I promise!" However, to Alex's disbelief, the hounds didn't budge.

The fox seemed to notice though, "Huh, you guys gonna _try_ to get me? I… I'll still get away kids!" ?The hounds were unamused, and the fox kept blabbering on, "But seriously, I try to find food for my family, and I'm left with… this?!"

"We don't want to hurt you, fox. Chill out," Shadow said.

"Yeah, we're just training!" Shouted Scoot, "as long as we don't move, _he_ won't move!" Scoot motioned toward his master. _This is definitely Cap's father! Too much pride, hopefully he doesn't get himself killed!_

"Huh, I see…" sighed the fox, "never seen a hound not attack their game before. Probably cause your just kids I guess. Say, you think you can get that guy off my tail? I'd like to get home alive."

 _Don't you recall that my dad didn't attack you, Tod?_ , thought Scoot.

"And how do we do that?" Asked Scoot.

"Pretend you're on the trail of something else kid!"

The puppies didn't have to do anything, because at that moment, Cap jumped out of the bush, and crashed into Alex.

"HEY!" Alex cried, "watch where yer' headin' kit!"

"I'm gonna BITE HIM!" Cap screamed, "IF HE COMES ANY CLOSER TO MY DAD!"

The adult fox noticed, "Copper! Just run away!"

"I'm going TO DAD! YOU RUN!" the kit yelled.

Alex was quite surprised, because in a couple seconds, the fox pair vanished.

"DARN IT!" Alex complained, "we had him too! Oh well, it's your first time out here, I'm sure you didn't understand you need to attack animals, guys!"

Back at the farm, Shadow had many questions for Scoot, about his relations with Cap. "Ok, first of all," Shadow said, "did that fox just call Cap, your friend, Copper?"

"It's a long story sis. But basically, Cap's real name is Copper. Same as dad's name."

Shadow was confused, "So… why does he and dad have the same name?"

Scoot sighed, _ugh, here we go. "_ Our dad was friends with a fox named Tod. That fox in the forest was Tod. He named his kid after Dad. End of story. Good? I don't want to repeat it again. Also, don't tell dad his real name, it's a secret".

Shadow sighed, "gee, our family is _really_ weird."

"You have _no_ idea".


	9. Chapter 8: Trouble on the Horizon

Chapter 8: Trouble on the Horizon

Thursday

Throughout the week, Cap, Scoot _and_ Shadow played in their field. So now, they could play tag! Of course, Cap was the fastest, but the hounds were stronger, and could seriously do some damage once they caught up. They never played too rough though, as they didn't want to hurt their fragile friend.

"Boy," Cap said, "if my father saw me playing with you two, he would kill me!" Cap laughed, "But I don't care!"

"You could just say that he's being hypocritical!" Shadow replied.

"Yeah, but he's got a point, Shadow," her brother said, "it's still dangerous with him being here."

The head of an older hound popped out of the bush. "What are you doing dad?" asked Scoot.

"Just checking up on you kids, that's all," Copper replied.

"You wanna join us in tag?" offered Cap, "Just so you know, _I'm_ the fastest!" Copper laughed at Cap's cockiness before saying, "I know you probably are Cap. But no, I didn't come here to play tag. I came to warn you kids, especially _you_."

"me?" Cap asked, "Warn me about what?"

Copper sighed, "Alrighty then. Amos is bringing home another hound dog, and Alex's dad is going to use him. The hound's name is Buster, and unlike me, he prefers to _toy_ with his catch" Copper paused. "If he finds out that you are hanging around our property, he _will_ _kill_ you."

"Oh Buster," Scoot whined, "He's such a jerk I didn't even do anything to him and he antagonized me."

"Yeah, why should I be afraid of some stupid mean hound?" asked Cap.

Copper's tone became serious, "Cap, he won't just kill you. He will _rip_ your body apart, and _tear_ you to shreds, all while you're still alive."

Cap responded, "Well that's kinda grueso—"

"He likes torturing his prey, Capper. I don't want to see you get mangled." Copper sighed, "Go back home, Cap. To the forest. You're safer there… but I know you won't listen." Copper sighed again, "Just like your father, you want to be with your… friends."

Scoot was saddened by his father's sentiment. "So, now I'm losing my friend, _dad_?". He started to cry.

"Don't think about it like that, Scoot," Copper said, "you know Cap can't be around here forever. He's a fox. If you really care about him, you'd let him go."

Cap interrupted, "WHAT IF I DON'T WANT TO GO?".

Copper was frustrated, and taken aback by Cap's outburst, "It's your choice." He started walking back through the bush, "But _I_ don't want to watch you _die_."

The kids were shocked by Copper's last point. It was back to just the three of them in the field. The silence that followed left the situation unsettling.

"He's right", said Scoot whilst fighting back tears, "You need to go Cap."

Now cap was crying too. "I know" he retorted, "bUT I DON'T WANT TO!"

Shadow was getting annoyed by the boys complaining, "Oh come on, you're boys! Man up! You got two days till that _jerk_ arrives! Enjoy it while it lasts."

On that note, the young hounds and Cap parted ways. "I- I'll see you tomorrow… right?" whimpered Cap.

"I'll see you tomorrow," Scoot responded.

Friday

Scoot slept in, past when Alex went to School. He, Chief, and Copper were in their doghouse. He awoke to his father having a sad expression.

"Alex didn't do it" Copper said.

"What?" asked Scoot.

"Alex didn't do it, son".

Chief turned over, "What are you two yapping about?"

"I don't know what dad means, Chief," replied Scoot, "I don't under—"

Then he saw it. Scoot realized in horror, that his collar was attached to a leash, attached to his doghouse, preventing him from going anywhere.

"It was his dad".

* * *

A/N: Alright guys! If you enjoy this story, please throw a comment! It makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside when someone appreciates my work! (It also motivates me to continue!) The next chapter, Cap get's to meet Chief! Uh oh!)


	10. Chapter 9: Chief's Dilemma

Chapter 9: Chief's Dilemma

Friday, Continued

"NO!" screamed Scoot, "I promised him that I would see him today!" Chief noticed Scoot's outburst, "What do you mean you promised him you would see him today?"

"My friend! I said I would meet him today! Grrrrrr…". Scoot started biting at his leash, tugging and pulling on it, with hope that it would give out. Unfortunately, he wasn't strong enough to remove himself from the chain. Chief and Copper were entertained by the pointless attempt to unleash himself. "Son," said Copper, "ya gotta chill out kid. Just one day wouldn't hurt. You'll be fine. Now, I gotta go". As Copper walked away Scoot could be heard screaming, "BUT I PROMISED!".

* * *

"Scoot! Where are you!" Capper was in the field, trying to find where his friend could be, "are you hiding?" He started to get worried, "Don't play these games, Scoot! You know I'll eventually find you… _if you're here_ ".

* * *

"My, my Scoot, I haven't been able to spend any time with you! But now I can!" cheered Chief. They were still in their doghouses, respectively. Scoot groaned. _I'd rather be with my friend Copper, sorry Chief._

"Why did he do it?" asked Scoot.

"do what, Scoot?" chief asked.

"Why did he chain me up?"

Chief knew why Liam tied Scoot, but he wanted to tell it slant, "He wants you to be safe Scoot. You can't go running past the bushes! There are dangerous animals there! Also, you might run into some nasty creatures… like _foxes,_ racoons, squirrels. He doesn't want you to get bit."

Chief's reasoning made Scoot upset, "Foxes are nasty creatures, uncle Chief? I thought we killed them? Aren't we the monsters?"

 _Interesting reply kiddo._ "Yes, we kill them! Because they are nasty creatures! They try to eat our chickens! Heck, one even gave me this broken leg!" Chief lifted his broken leg, and whined. "So yes Scoot, foxes are vile, evil creatures. We kill them! Happy I answered your question?"

Scoot replied, "No, but now I know how _prejudice_ you really are. Thanks for showing your true colors."

Chief became confused.

"You callin' me prejudice _?_ It's what we're supposed to do! We are raised to hate wildlife. That's why we hunt 'em. You are being delusional!"

"Well, _Uncle Chief,_ I'm not so delusional as I understand that there are two sides of every conflict— "

"and WHAT would that BE exactly?"

"I know _how_ you got that broken foot."

"Oh, really?!"

"And quite frankly, it is YOU who are in the wrong!"

Chief was furious, "so you are telling ME, your UNCLE, that I was in the WRONG for chasing a FOX that I was supposed to KILL? We can't be _friendly_ to foxes. What other side of the story is there to that?"

Scoot retorted, "Well Uncle Chief you see, I'm friends with a fox. I know _you_ can't understand that, so I'll say it again: _I am friends. With. A. Fox._ "

Chief stared at Scoot with disbelief, with a worried expression, "any other stupid things you want me to believe, Kid?"

"Yeah", replied Scoot, "the fox I'm friends with… is the son of the fox that _you_ tried to kill."

Chief became angrier, "OK KID! Now you're just making stuff UP!"

"Am I?", Scoot said sarcastically, "ok, how about this, Uncle Chief. You chased Tod on the railroad tracks, you deserved to get hit—"

"DON'T YOU _EVER_ MENTION THAT NAME AGAIN, do you hear me?" Chief growled at Scoot.

"I'm not afraid of you, "Scoot smirked, "Tod was innocent. End of story."

Chief was dumbfounded, "you're siding with the wildlife, _kid_. Don't be so stupid. Your dad will set you straight. Soon enough, you might be _killing_ that 'friend' of yours for all I—"

"Yeah, I don't think so," scoot interrupted. By this point, Chief was fuming.

"You dare to interrupt me?"

Scoot laughed. "you think _dad_ is going to force me to kill my friend? I see he hasn't told you about the skeleton's in _his_ closet, haha!"

"Whatever, you're a kid. Kids can be stupid. Eventually, you will learn your place in the world."

"And you, _Chief_ , are a grumpy old dog who doesn't like when others have different views than you do!"

"Just save your breath kid, I'm done arguing with you." Chief was exhausted, and went back to sleep. Scoot did the same.

* * *

" _Psst. Hey, Scoot. Wake up."_

"Cap?" Scoot opened his eyes. His fox friend was in his doghouse. _Wait, Cap is here… oh no._

" _Cap, leave. It's not safe for you here!"_ Scoot whispered.

" _You think I don't know that braniac? I just wanted to see where you were! Heck, I was worried about you!"_ Cap whispered _._

 _"Cap, be quiet, "_ Scoot whispered back. _"you'll wake Chief!"_ What Scoot didn't realize was that Chief _was_ awake, and he was listening to their whole conversation. Cap and Scoot both peaked out of the doghouse, but were met with the angry snarling face of an old hound. "What the hell is going on?" Chief yelled, "I'll give you one chance, fox, only because I don't want to deal with Scoot crying over a dead pest. You have ten seconds to leave… NOW!"

But the little fox was discouraged, " _Oh,_ so you're giving _me_ a chance? That's really funny Chief. In fact, if I recall, you didn't give Copper and my Dad a _chance_ , did you?"

"WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT?".

Scoot explained, "so as it turns out, Dad was friends with his Dad. Weird huh?"

"I can't take this anymore!" Chief fainted.

Scoot and Cap stared at each other for a solid minute.

"So", Cap said, "I guess we can play _now?"_

"Uhh, yeah, I guess".

* * *

A couple hours later, Copper came home, to a very flustered Chief. "Hey Chief!" said Copper, "Why do you look so mad?" The old hound stared at him. "See for yourself," he replied.

Chief moved out of the way, and there, in Scoot's doghouse, was Scoot sleeping, next to a curled-up Cap. _This kid is going to be the death of me,_ thought Copper.

"SCOOT!" Copper yelled, startling both Scoot and Cap, "Get up! You have some explaining to do!"

"Wha, what?" the startled puppy asked, "What dad?" Then he remembered, "Oh, yeah I don't know why he's here".

"Oh please son," interrogated Copper, "don't play dumb with me."

"Dad, I'm on a leash."

Copper realized his son couldn't go anywhere. "oh yeah, right, I forgot." He glared at the fox. "You are going to get yourself killed! Why did you come here?"

Cap was shaking, "Scoot- wasn't- at- our- meeting- place, sir. I was worried about him—"

"Well isn't that fine and dandy!?" Chief interrupted. "you were worried about a hound. Likely story. And to think, you wouldn't even _exist_ to bother me if I killed that meddlin' father of yours!"

"Chief, come on," replied Copper, "He's just a ki—"

"He's a _FOX,_ Copper. I _don't care_ if it's a 'kid'", Chief retorted, "Now don't be getting all fuzzy with these pests."

"Chief, come on pal, Scoot was lonely before he met Cap, at least he hasn't been moping arou—"

"AND YOU KNOW ITs NAME, HOW?"

"Uhh, dude," Cap said, "I told him my name. He's cool with me, why aren't you?"

"Because, you little pest," Chief stated, "I _killed_ your kind. I _loved_ killing foxes. You think I'm going to be okay with my nephew hanging out with you dirty rodents? Not a chance."

"Yeah, I know, "Cap responded, "which explains why you weren't cool with our dad's hanging out, jerk!"

Now, Chief was getting ready to pounce on the kit. "What are you talking about now!?"

 _Ughhhh, you are really testing me Cap. I'm trying to get you out of this hole, and now you're dragging me down with you,_ Copper thought _._ He grunted _._ "Cap, there's certain things you shouldn't say out loud, and now you're getting _me_ in trouble. Go. Home… NOW."

Cap sadly nodded, and took off toward the forest before Chief could attack him. "So, Copper, "Chief sighed, "I want the truth. NOW."

"What other choice do I have? The kid set me up", copper replied. And so, Copper told Chief everything about him and Tod: from when they were young, to finding out that Cap was his son. Scoot was present, and already knew the story, but he stayed to listen, anyway… not like he had a choice in the matter.

Chief was still shocked by this news, but he had a better understanding of why Copper let Cap run away from them. "So," Chief said, "that fox way back when, came over to visit _you?"_

"Yeah, Chief," said Copper, "we were secret buds. It's why I ran away all the time, we played in the field that Scoot and _his_ fox friend play in now."

"But I thought you killed it in the game reserve, Copper. You were hunting him down!"

"Yeah, but I wasn't going to kill someone who nearly gave their life for me! Heck, even Amos understood that: he didn't try to shoot him after I blocked him."

"So, that kid, Cap... is Tod's son", Chief sighed. He just found out that the fox who caused his broken foot wasn't dead. He also realized he could have killed his son, moments before. That would send a message! _But Scoot thinks that we're the monsters,_ chief thought _, maybe_ _ **I'm**_ _the monster. I don't want the kid to hate me._ "Look, Copper, I'm sorry. I'm sorry too Scoot. You know I hate those darn creatures. But, if it drives you further away from me, which I don't want; then I'll try my best to not let my instincts take control of me."

"I understand, uncle Chief, "Scoot beamed. "I'm sorry for acting like a jerk too."

"Apology accepted kid".

Chief still didn't like the idea of Scoot being friends with a fox, especially with it being the offspring of the animal that _nearly killed him_ , but he wanted the puppy and him to get along.

Scoot sighed, "I just wanted to spend the next few days with Cap, since Buster is coming back in a day. Cap knows he can't visit after Buster arrives. And...". Scoot started crying, "then I'll never see him again…".

"Son," Copper said, "I'll make sure that Liam doesn't hook you up tomorrow. And if he does… I'll break the chain".

"Really dad?" questioned Scoot.

"Really, Scoot."

* * *

Bonfire

Amos was enraged, "LIAM! Why did you lock scoot up all day? The poor runt needs to get exercise." His son replied, "look, father. I know Scoot needs exercise. I don't want him getting bit by a rabid animal, that's all. I know he likes to run behind the bushes, and that's too far for my comfort."

"But Dad," it was Alex. "Scoot loves running around in that field! He's not going to get hurt."

"I know what's best for your dog, son," Liam glared. He was not fond of any of the dogs running away from home, even if they weren't too far away. He was a bit of a control freak, and worried a bit too much.

"Well I want Scoot to be happy… so I'm unleashing him tomorrow!" Alex finished, before leaving the bonfire to go to bed.

It was only the two adult men at the fire pit tonight, the dogs were all sleeping in their houses.

"Son," Amos broke the silence, "listen. Ah used to hook Copper up to his barrel when he was a puppy, and I've never seen a more _miserable_ pet in all mah life. It would be wrong to repeat that with Alex's dog."

"And you are ok with him running by the pond?" Liam asked. "Well, since Ah'm home tomorrow," Amos continued, "Ah'll make sure that runt stays outta trouble! Alex will also accompany me."

Liam nodded. The two of them got up, and parted ways.


	11. Chapter 10: Eyes of the Enemy

Chapter 10: Staring into the Eyes of the Enemy

Saturday

Today was the last day Scoot knew he would get to play with Cap. Much to his shock, his Collar wasn't tied to his doghouse anymore, which meant that he was free to roam. Free to meet up with his friend for the last time. It was already late in the morning, so he started to run towards the field. His friend was right there waiting for him.

"So," Cap said, "this is our last day together, right pal?" "Yep", the puppy replied, "What do you want to do?" Cap ran up the nearest tree, and laid on the branch, looking over his friend. Caps expression turned into an evil smile. "I want you to finally climb this tree!" he said. Scoot was getting better at this endeavor, but now his friend wants him to just do it? It's still amazing he could get halfway up the tree. He is a dog, after all.

So, Scoot did what his friend wanted him to do. He took a running leap, grabbed onto the trunk of the tree, and started to scale it. Using all his forward momentum, he could hop off the trunk, and grab onto the branch. After a moment of dangling in the air, he could hoist himself onto the branch, joining his friend. "Wow!", Scoot screeched, "You actually did it! Now I can't escape from you". He smirked, "but I'm not worried about you buddy!"

"Uhh, Cap," Scoot questioned, "how do I get _down_ from here?"

Cap chuckled, "same way you got up, Mutt! Just go backwards!". Cap paused, "but why not stay up here for a bit? You can get a great view from the trees!" he continued.

"Yeah! I can see my house from here!" the young Mutt exclaimed. He could see his family, down on the farm, going about their daily lives.

"Wanna know a secret?" Cap asked. "I'll bite", Scoot replied. Cap continued, "I actually had the same trouble you did with climbing trees!" "Really?" asked Scoot. "Yeah! Red foxes can't naturally climb trees!" Cap said, "I have a gray fox friend who showed me! It used to be _really_ hard for me to do, but now I can climb with ease!"

"So, what you're saying," Scoot said, "is that you couldn't climb any trees before, but now you can? Like I just did?"

"Yeah, Scoot," his friend replied, "It was just as difficult for me, as it is for you. But who cares about that! Enjoy the view!"

Scoot kept watching his home in the distance. Until, he saw Alex approaching the bushes… with Amos. "Uhh, hey Cap! We got Alex and his Grandpa approaching, what do we do?" asked Scoot nervously.

Cap smiled and responded, "Just stay up here!" he winked at Scoot, "they'll eventually see us!" So, the two friends decided to stay put, while the two humans were searching the floor below them.

"You said the pup is usually around here, Alex. I don't see him anywhere!" Amos said. "No, he's usually around here with that fox, grandpa. I just don't know where he could be!" Alex replied. They still didn't notice the two animals above their heads.

 _I'm going to give them a hint,_ Scoot thought. He gave a short bark.

"I hear Scoot!" Alex exclaimed, "but where is he?" Scoot barked again. Alex looked up towards the tree. "No way!" he said, "Grandpa, Scoot is in the tree!" Amos looked confused, "you mean to tell me that your puppy climbed a tree? That's hard to beli—"

Then he saw it.

"He's actually in the tree… with that _fox,"_ Amos sighed. "Yeah," Alex replied, "looks like they both got up there, and were watching us the whole time!" _Wait a second! Red foxes can't climb trees!_

"I'm still not comfortable with him playing with that kit, Alex," Amos said, "What if it tries to bite him?"

"He's not gonna bite him, grandpa!" Alex snapped, "They seem to be good friends."

"Well maybe I just don't trust those animals," Amos stated. "Oh, chill out grandpa! He's harmless," Alex retorted, "Hey Scoot, come down here boy!" He yelled to his dog, "Bring your little friend down with you!"

"I think he wants us to get down," Scoot said to his orange friend, "here goes nothing!" Scoot started to walk towards the tree trunk. "Just try to run down!", his friend yelled, behind him. With a leap, Scoot jumped onto the tree trunk, vertically, and attempted to run down it. He nearly made it down, but tripped when he was a meter off the ground. Cap was laughing as he followed behind. "You _still_ need to get that safer landing down, mutt!" he laughed, "but you get a B+ for effort!"

The two friends stood in front of the two humans, the older one slightly bewildered at what he just witnessed. Amos and Cap's eyes locked. _I'm supposed to be killing these things!_ Amos thought. _But this little kit seems to not mind me at all. He's tame for a woodland creature. Almost like he was once someone's pet. And it wears a cap on its head, odd._ Unbeknownst to Cap, this was the same man who tried to kill his father over a year earlier.

"Hey, you guys wanna play catch?" Alex asked the two young animals. He threw the tennis ball toward the lake. Without fail, the fox and the hound ran toward the ball to retrieve it. Cap was the fastest, so he got to it first, but he kicked the ball back toward Alex, instead of grabbing it with his mouth.

"See grandpa! The little guy is playful too!" Alex exclaimed.

"I have no words for this situation, Sonny. Everything I have seen today is unbelievable to me. Instead of these two being at each other's throats, they instead, are keeping each other company," said Amos.

"Yeah! It's kinda weird, but still kinda cool! The little guy will probably let me pick him up, watch!" Alex knelt on the ground, holding his hands out toward the fox. Cap was confused by this motion, but was startled when he was picked up off the ground. His instinct almost took over, by almost biting Alex, but his head being scratched put the thought to rest.

 _This feels reeeally nice, Cap thought. I wonder if this is how dad felt when he still had the old lady as his owner._

"Cap" Scoot asked, "are you okay with him holding you like that?"

"Yeah Scoot, he's just petting me. It's actually pretty comfortable!"

"Alex seems to really like you then! Isn't that funny how he tried to kill you last week?"

"It was just a misunderstanding," the fox beamed, "we're cool now!"

Amos, however, was not _cool_ with his grandson holding the baby fox. "Sonny, what in the blazes made you think to do that? What if that thing has disease?"

"Oh come on grandpa!" Alex retorted, "He's fine! He's calm and isn't struggling, so I think he feels perfectly safe—"

"I'm more worried about you!" Amos interrupted, "I don't want it to bite you!"

"Alright, fine! I'll put him down, you worry wart!" Alex carefully set Cap back down on the ground.

"Hey!" said Cap, "You want to do some roughhousing? You know, like you dogs do, Scoot?"

"I don't think it's a good idea with Alex and his—"

But, before Scoot could finish his sentence, his friend leaped onto him. _Alright, two can play at that game! Thought Scoot._ He kicked Cap off and started chasing him around the field. "Don't forget!" Cap said back, "I'm the fastest! You can't catch me—"

because he wasn't looking, he slammed right into a tree.

"But not the brightest, kit!" his friend shouted, gaining up on the young fox, before also pouncing on him. Tails wagging, they both started playfully gnawing at each other's ears. It was a sight to see, and to Amos, it reminded him of Copper and Chief when they were younger.

"Seems more like a dog," Amos said, "Are you sure that's a fox, Sonny?"

"Yeah, he's orange, got a white tipped tail, looks like a fox to me!"

Amos couldn't quite pinpoint it, but he thought there was something awfully _peculiar_ about the situation, and the fox. "There's something strange about that Kit, Alex. I'm drawing a blank, but this feels familiar."

"Not only that, Grandpa, but it wears a hat." Alex still didn't understand why a wild animal would wear a hat. He too, thought the fox was strange. He enjoyed watching it play with his puppy though.

Amos looked at his watch. "Well, it's noon Kiddo, I gotta go to the other farm. You might want to watch Copper, so he doesn't take an interest in your puppy's * _ehm* 'friend'_.

"Don't worry Grandpa," Alex said, "I'll keep a good eye on them!" Amos smiled back, "I know you wil!". And like that, Amos was gone, and it was just the fox, the hound, and the young hunter.

The two animals were exhausted from their scuffle, and were laying down on the grass next to each other. Alex walked over, and sat right next to them, "You guys are… something else! Little rebels!" Scoot and Cap didn't really care to listen to Alex, they were all tired out. "You know," Alex continued," grandpa thinks you have rabies or something, little fox. I know you don't, but I might be able to help you out." Alex left, heading back home.

…

Alex was searching through Amos' medicine cabinet. _Let's see, heartworm, aspirin… ahh! Here it is! Rabies vaccine. Hmm, it says 'use only on canines'. I think foxes fit that family, so it should work for Scoot's little buddy. Now I just gotta poke 'em without him getting pissed off…_

…

The two tired pups didn't notice they had an unexpected visitor. "Hey, Cap, Scoot." No reply.

"CAP!"

"WHAT?!", the fox leaped up, also startling Scoot. "what do you want Copper?" Cap asked.

"Oh, nothing! Just wanted to see how you guys were doing!" Copper replied.

"Dad, you didn't have to scare us." Scoot said, "have you seen Alex by the way?" Scoot didn't have to wait for an answer, as his owner came through the brush at that moment.

"Alright guys, I'm back and… wait _Copper_ isn't attacking you?" Alex froze. "We'll, I guess he knows not to hurt your friend then." He walked toward the two younger animals, and knelt. _Alright, how am I going to do this._

Scoot walked up to his master, and licked his hand. "I kinda need your friend right now, Scoot," Alex said. He patted the ground, trying to make eye contact with the fox. To his surprise, the fox walked toward him.

"What does _he_ want?" Cap asked.

Copper noticed the needle, hidden behind Alex. _Hee hee, kids getting shot. "_ I don't know Cap, just walk up to him", he said, trying to hold back the smile.

"Alright, I guess." Cap sat down in front of Alex. "So, now what?"

 _I gotta do this quick!_ Alex thought. Without hesitating, he grabbed Cap's front paw, took the needle, and jabbed it into his leg. He let go fast, so he didn't get bit. The fox winced from the pain, but only noticed after the vaccine was administered. What was left, was a small bandage.

"OWWWWWW!" Screamed Cap, "Why does that burn? What did he do to me? Is he trying to kill me?".

Copper and Scoot were both on the floor laughing. "No silly! Scoot chuckled, "It's medicine so you don't get sick! I had it too!"

"But why does it burn?" the fox questioned.

"Cap," Copper chuckled, "it goes through the needle, and it has to go through your skin. That's why it burned. It's always funny watching young animals get shots. They think it's the end of the world."

Alex was now reaching into his pocket. He pulled out 2 objects. Copper and Scoot knew what they were, but Cap didn't have a clue. Whatever it was, it smelled good though.

"Here little guy," Alex said, "dropping the object in front of Cap, "this is for being a good sport about the whole… shot thing". He split up the other object, and tossed the two parts to Copper and Scoot. They started chowing down on it immediately.

Cap still wasn't sure what it was. _I guess if Copper and Scoot are eating it, it must be safe._ So, he grabbed the item and started chewing. _Wow! This tastes amazing! It's crispy, juicy, and has good flavoring. It has to be some kind of meat._ "What is this?" Cap asked.

"It's the best thing in the world! Bacon!" his friend exclaimed, "It's how humans eat pigs kinda."

"That's right", Copper said, "they don't eat meat raw. They cook it, and it gets rid of all the bad stuff."

"Well whatever it is," Cap said, "It's darn good!"

"Now don't get too used to that fox," Alex said, "I'm not even supposed to feed you human food. It was a special occasion." He scratched Cap's cheek. He thought for a minute, "What should I call you? You have a hat so, hat? Red? _Cap?_ "

 _He knows my name!_ The fox jumped onto Alex. "Ok! Alex shouted, "Cap it is then, alright?"

 _Or can you get closer?_ Thought the fox. Cap jumped off Alex, and ran towards the hounds. He jumped onto Copper.

"What on Earth are you doing, Cap? Get off me" Copper said.

"Give me a second, Copper!" Cap replied.

Alex walked over to them. "So wait, you jumped on Copper. Is this telling me something? Should I call you Cap or Copper?" Alex pondered, "You know what! I'll call you _Capper_! How's that?"

Cap once again, jumped onto Alex. "Alright, Alright! Capper it is then!"

"Wow!" exclaimed Scoot, "You got him to say your name! That's so cool"

"Yeah!" shouted Cap, "me and Alex are good friends now!"

"You know, "Copper said, "I'm a little jealous how Alex is cool with you hanging out with Scoot, but his grandpa wouldn't let me hang out with your dad".

Capper realized something, "Wait, Copper. Alex's grandpa was the one who tried to kill my dad?"

"Affirmative".

"But he was just here, and wasn't being mean or anything."

"That's because your father caused him to be less hateful. He still doesn't like you foxes, don't get me wrong. But he doesn't go around the farm shooting everything he sees anymore."

"I see, "Scoot said, "but Alex's _dad_ is kinda mean."

"And that's why Cap can't hang around anymore after tomorrow," Copper said, "It'll be him and the vicious Buster." He noticed Scoot's lip starting to quiver. "But, I said he shouldn't hang around _here._ I'll show you a place where you guys can safely play."

"WAIT!" shouted Cap, you mean I can still hang out with Scoot?"

"Yeah," replied Copper, "I figured if you guys weren't playing too close, you would be safe from that _nasty_ hound."

Alex was starting to get bored: _you know, I do have a test to study for… "_ Hey guys, I'm gonna go. Watch them for me, ok Copper?" He stared at the dog for a few seconds, "ok then, bye!" Just like that, Alex left.

"He's certainly a strange fellow," Copper said, "anyways, why don't the both of you follow me back home." The two young animals obliged and followed Copper.

…

"Wait!" Cap panicked, "is it safe for me to go over there?"

Copper nodded, "Chief won't hurt you Cap. In fact, he knows where you guys can go while Buster is here."

"I hope you're right, Copper," Cap said, "I still don't trust him.

Scoot, Copper and Cap each walked up to the row of doghouses, were Chief was laying.

"Well look who it is, "the older hound mocked, "Scoot and his lil' vermin buddy." Cap growled at Chief. "Oh, you're _adorable_ ," Chief mocked, "I could kill you right now you know!"

"Chief no! Leave him alone!" shouted Scoot.

"But I'm _not_ going to kill you," Chief continued, "I just want you away from my property".

Cap decided to speak, "So apparently, you know someplace we could hang out safely, right? The fox was a little intimidated by the snarling hound.

"Well yes I do, little pest. You wanna know?"

"Hey, Chief, be a _little_ more polite towards the kid," said Copper.

"Yeah," added Cap, "I get that you and my dad hate each other, but umm, I'm different. And please stop calling me pest."

" **LOOK,"** chief yelled, "see that bridge in the distance, _Cap?_ Is that better?"

"Yes, and yes, sir."

"Alrighty, follow the road to the north about halfway to the bridge. There will be a yellow sign. Run to the right, and you should find a large space that you two can mess around in."

"Uhh, thanks, Chief," Scoot said, "that was a nice thing to do."

"Well," Chief replied, "I just want the brat away from here. The further away, the better. Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm taking a nap. When I wake, I better not see that 'Cap'."

As the hound fell asleep, Copper saw something in the distance. It was his master's truck. He could make out a certain black dog in the front. _Black dog. Buster!_

"Cap, you need to leave, _NOW! Buster is here!"_ , "Copper scolded the fox.

"Alright, I'm as good as gone!", Cap said. He swiftly removed himself from the scene, just in time, as Amos and Buster were getting out of the truck.

While Buster and Copper are both hound dogs, they couldn't be any more different. Buster liked to hunt aggressively, while Copper executed his hunts more calmly. Buster liked to mess with his prey, while Copper would try to end its suffering. Copper was humble about his title, while Buster would be bragging and brash about himself, towards other hounds. In other words, other hounds respected Copper, because he was respectful towards them. But, they respected Buster out of _fear._

Buster and Amos arrived at the doghouses.

"Hey Copper," Amos said, "I decided to grab him a day early. We only have a couple days till we gotta train the pups". Buster grinned at Copper, while Copper scowled back.

"Well," started Buster, "if it isn't Copper and his pip-squeak scoot. Been about a month now, hey kid".

"Listen," Copper grunted, "if you are going to start trouble, you might as well just turn around."

"Yeah," said Scoot, "we don't want to hear you demean us."

The black hound laughed, "Surely you must understand I'm just teasing ya Scoot?"

"Right…".

"You know me and your father get along well, _right_ Copper?" Copper rolled his eyes. "Well," he jeered, "if you aren't going to bully my son _like you did when you first met him_ , then maybe we can get along. I doubt that will be the case though."

Buster interjected, "really? That's a bit demanding Copper, you know I can't be nice", the hound smirked. "As for you, Scoot: be on your best behavior, and I won't have to 'demean' you. Ta-ta!". Buster left Copper and Scoot, to see what Amos was up to.

"He's such a jerk, dad."

"I know Scoot, I know."

…

Bonfire, Friday Night

As usual, the hounds laid down on one side of the bonfire, while the humans sat down on the other. Tonight, they were eating smores.

"It's about to git more crowded here!" said Amos, "we have a bunch of puppies and their owners coming, so you better head to town tomorrow and git some of em marshmallows, Alex. These smores ain't gonna make themselves."

"If you give me money granddad, I don't have a job, remember?"

"Oh. But you will Sonny," replied Amos, "you will. In fact, I'll pay you to train the dogs. A couple hours a day."

"Seems fair, grandpa," Alex remarked, "What do you think, dad?"

"If you keep those puppies out of harm's way, then you should be mighty fine," Liam replied.

"Oh, I almost forgit!" exclaimed Amos, Widow is making a buncha pies for everyone tomorrow. You should see if you could give er a hand er two."

"I'll consider it, grandpa."

While the humans were absorbed in their conversation, the dogs were having one of their own. Shadow and Scoot were on the far left, Copper next to them to the left of Chief. Buster was all the way on the right, keeping his distance from the kids.

"Those things look delicious," said Scoot, "I want one!"

"Darling. " Daisy responded, "those aren't good for puppies to eat. Chocolate will make you sick, and so will the marshmallows. You might be able to steal some of those graham crackers though," she smirked.

Buster, on the other hand, didn't want to talk about marshmallows. Instead, he was thinking of ways to get under Copper's skin. "So, Copper," Buster spoke, "you run into your little forest friend recently? You know I'd love to sink my teeth in him," he grinned. Copper pondered, _so you turn the conversation to attacking Tod, Buster? It just shows the kind of hound you are. Jealous of me, because I'm better than you, and I'm still acquainted with a game animal._

"I get it," copper grumbled, "you're jealous of me, because despite me having a fox friend, I'm a better hunter than you," he paused, "But there's no reason to bring Tod into this. Change the subject please."

"Wait dad," Scoot gasped, "Buster knows about Tod?"

"And apparently so do you!" Buster jeered, "hopefully you're not stupid enough to befriend your prey. That's just asking for trouble!"

Scoot was becoming mad, "Oh yeah? Well dad's still better than you."

"Is that all you got, pipsqueak?" laughed the black hound.

Scoot sighed, "I got nothing. Maybe you won— "

"Yeah!" shouted Shadow, "I'd rather be friends with a game animal than someone the likes of you!"

All the hounds were shocked by Shadow's outburst, especially her mother. "Honey," Daisy began, "It's not wise to get angry like that. Don't let him get to you."

"I know momma, but he attacked Scoot, and I found it reasonable to defend my brother."

"I'm so touched," Scoot mocked, "Anyway, jerk, how do you know about dad's friend?"

Buster chuckled, " _Everyone has a story to tell, Scoot_ ,"

…

" _maybe one day you'll find out mine_."

 **END OF PART I**

What is Buster _really_ hiding?

What will Liam Alex's father do when he finds out about Cap?

And what about that hunt training that happens in a week?

Find out next week, in Part II!


	12. Part II Chapter 11: Moving Day

**A/N:** Alrighty guys, here's part two! Took a couple weeks to finish it, but it's around the same length as part 1. Like I said, I write out the whole part and then go back and revise it. I didn't like how I originally planned it, so it took a while to get it to a point I liked. You also gotta take a break, as to not burn out.

A character sheet will follow this chapter, summarizing all of the important characters, and their roles in part one. New chapter every 1 - 2 days! Each part has ten chapters! Enjoy!

 **PART II The Hunt Begins**

 **Chapter 11: Moving Day**

Sunday, North Forest

It was about 11 in the morning. Cap was wide awake, spending some time with his parents. He did a good job of keeping his little secret away from them. They were showing Cap and his sister Lily how to hunt for mice in the ground.

Tod, on the other hand, has never been happier. He was with his family, in the safety of their forest home. Nothing could ruin this moment. "Alright Copper, so what ya gotta do is stand still, and wait."

So, Cap did what he was told. "Like this?" he asked.

"Perfect," replied his father, "the next step is to tilt your head toward the direction you feel the ground vibrate." So, Cap closed his eyes, and concentrated. Then, he felt it. Directly beneath him, there were vibrations. He tilted his head, toward the direction.

"You feel that mouse moving Copper?" Tod asked his son.

"Yeah dad, it's to the left of me, and it's staying near the same spot."

Tod beamed, "alright kid! Now DIVE!".

"What?!" questioned Cap.

"Dive into the ground! Catch the mouse!"

 _Alright, here goes nothing,_ thought Cap. With all his energy, he dove headfirst into the ground. He was surprised when his mouth caught a hold of something furry. _I got it_! He thought.

With his hind legs, he could pop himself back out of the ground, with his prey. His father was rather pleased. "Alright Copper," he said, "you are free to roam the forest if you'd like. Just be careful, I trust you."

"Ok, thanks dad! I'll stay in the forest!" Of course, Cap wasn't going to _roam the forest_ , he was heading toward Scoot and his new meeting place.

"It's your turn now Lily! Just remember what I told your brother!" Tod said.

Lily grumbled, and her mother chuckled at her.

…

Slade Residence

Widow Tweed, Amos, and Liam weren't the only homeowners on the block. Next door to the younger Slade's house, lived a grumpy Vietnam veteran, and his wife and only son. They were irritable, and were hard to get along with. In fact, _no one_ in the neighborhood got along with them. They never wanted to talk to anyone. They simply stayed inside their home, unless they needed to run to the store.

So, Alex did his best not to pay attention to them. One big problem he had, however, was that the son, named Jacob, was a student just like him, and they bumped heads far too often in school.

 _Flashback:_

 _At college_

" _Well if it isn't the kid with the stupid hound dogs!"_

" _Well if it isn't the kid who has no friends, and never talks to anyone!"_

" _You wanna fight, Slade?"_

" _I have much better things to do, like NOT get kicked out of school. You can go ask some other loser, if you want to 'fight' "._

 _Anyone watching the argument was laughing. Jacob was infamous at the campus, for trying to start fights daily. No one was ever dumb enough to accept it though. There were many responses to his "challenge" such as:_

" _You'll probably just pussy out and tell your hard-ass dad that I was gonna kick your ass"._

" _I don't want to send you to VA hospital, kid."_

" _Fights are soooo high school. When are ya gonna grow up, tike?"_

 _Now, Alex was nowhere near being a school bully, but sometimes dealing with Jacob was too much to handle._

" _So, what's his problem today, Alex?" asked Alex's best friend Josh._

" _He's just bitching, like he always does, that my hound 'Scoot' is making too much noise during the day, which is complete bullshit," replied Alex._

" _Hah, seems like you got a long time to deal with him then?"_

" _Tell me about it. At least everyone thinks it's funny."_

 _End Flashback_

Yep, Jacob had a _huge_ problem with his neighbor's dogs. His father would always yell out the window, telling them to 'shut up' so he could have some 'peace and quiet'. Liam and Alex just ignored him, it was best that way anyway.

While Alex was busy inside working on a _personal_ project, Scoot ran towards the field near the bridge.

"Be careful kid!" Shouted Chief.

"You know I will! Scoot shouted back, as he gained speed.

He ran past the original field him and Cap played in. Eventually, the road came into view, and he ran alongside it for a couple minutes. Eventually, the silhouette of the bridge turned into the bridge itself. He knew he was close. He spotted a yellow "road curves right" sign. _This is the place!_ He thought. Finally, running to the right of the sign, he ran into the even larger open field, at least twice as big as their old one.

* * *

Side of the Road

"Took ya long enough" said the familiar furry animal.

"It's kinda far!" said Scoot, "took me a while to get here. Anyways, anything cool you found?"

"Well," Cap replied, "there's a quarry to the East, a giant bridge to the north with a big river, but besides that, not really. There aren't even any good hiding spots!" Cap frowned.

"Well that's the price you pay for getting away from Buster!" Scoot exclaimed. Cap sadly nodded. "Hey, the fox asked, "how is that Buster jerk anyway?"

Scoot didn't even want to _think_ about that question. He wanted to have just one day without thinking about that mutt, and _now_ his _friend_ brings him up?

"Uggh, fine," Scoot reluctantly answered, "he's a jerk. A _huge_ jerk. He tries to boss me around, and tell me what to do. But the worst part of all, he somehow knows about our… parents".

"What do you mean?" Cap shockingly asked.

"He knows that our parents were friends, and he really wants to kill your dad."

"B- but how does he know about it? Does he know about me? Oh gosh, I'm scared Scoot," Cap whimpered.

Scoot breathed heavily, "I don't know how he knows. He told me he had a story or something." Scoot paused, "but he doesn't know about you."

"Well, that's a relief I guess… I was worried he would try to find me."

"I think we're fine, Cap. Say, let's go climb that bridge!"

"I'll race you to the top!" challenged Cap. "Let's go!"

The two of them ran across the field, careful to avoid any trees (since Cap really like ramming into them at full speed, for some reason). Eventually, they got to the base of the bridge, and started climbing up the rocks. This gave Scoot an advantage, as he was stronger, and could lift himself up the mountain faster. They finally got to the top, both panting and out of breath.

"I guess we… tied" Cap stammered.

"Yeah… I'm… exhausted," said Scoot, "Let's lie down." Cap agreed.

They each spent a couple minutes, taking in the view. Scoot noticed something about this place. "Hey Cap, do you know where we are?"

"Not really, why?"

"This is the place where your dad almost killed Chief!"

"Oh yeah! Now I remember! The river is a lot higher I think. You couldn't bash against the rocks if you tried."

They heard a train whistle in the distance, and Cap could feel the distant trembling of the train. "Here comes the train!" He said. A couple minutes later, a passenger train sailed past them, some of the riders noticing the two unlikely friends. A couple seconds later and the train was gone.

Cap knew that he couldn't be outside the forest for too long, or his dad would find out. "Well, I gotta go Scoot. My dad's going to wonder where I am, and he can't find out about us. See ya!" Cap said.

"Already?!" Scoot Whined. "Uhh, Nice seeing you again, Cap!"

the two friends headed home.

* * *

Slade Farm

"Well, did you have a good time?," asked Chief, "I don't know what a fox and hound do in a wide-open field. Might get boring".

Copper replied, "I'm sure they had fun anyways, right Scoot?"

"Yeah dad", replied his Son, " Cap and I actually climbed the quarry next to the big bridge! The river's pretty high now, unlike when Tod—"

"ALRIGHT, THAT'S ENOUGH!" Shouted Chief, "Don't mention that situation, _or_ that name."

"I'm sorry Uncle Chief."

Little did they know: a nosy black hound dog was listening to their conversation. _Fox and Hound?_ _Scoot climbed the quarry with someone today,_ he thought, _who could that be? And he was having fun? He also mentioned Tod?_ Buster grinned, his inner laughter nearly breaking outside. _Could Scoot be the key to killing Tod? Heheh, this could be useful information._ He stepped out from his hiding spot, confronting Scoot.

"You know," Buster started, "you and me would get along much better if we were honest with eachother."

"Uhh, no. we wouldn't," Scoot replied.

Buster, shot down with Scoots response, decided to brute force his way to his desired answer. He questioned, "So, who is this 'Cap'? You meet by the bridge with him?"

Copper stared at his son, Scoot understood what it meant. It was as if Copper's expression was saying: " _Don't tell him anything!"_

"I don't have to tell you anything Buster!" Scoot shouted. "I don't know what you're talking about, and you are NOT the boss of me!"

Buster smiled. "it's a game animal, isn't it?"

Scoot was broken inside. H _ow is he doing this to me? I didn't even tell him anything. But it's like he knows I'm lying._

Buster chuckled, "your silence is all I need to confirm my suspicions. Don't you know how to play when someone gets in your head?" He laughed.

"Buster, stop," pleaded Copper, "what did Scoot ever do to y—"

"It's a fox… ISN'T IT?" Buster interrupted.

Once again, Scoot was speechless. But he understood how Buster played his 'game,' now. "I'm not dumb like my dad, who plays with game animals, Buster. I'm a pure blooded huntin' dog! And my dad isn't going to change that! The wildlife is my enemy!" Scoot gasped. _I can't believe I just said that… about my dad! And about my friend. Oh. No._

But, Buster seemed pleased. "I guess I was wrong about you Scoot. Maybe you aren't as stupid as your father." Copper grumbled, but Buster ignored him.

"I'll leave you now, Scoot," said the black hound, "forgive me for my insolence." Buster left the boys, and it was just them three again.

"I'm sorry I called you dumb dad! I didn't know how to not reveal my friend though."

Copper simply chuckled, "I know you didn't mean it son!"

"Yeah", said Chief. "at least you got him off your tail."

However, unknown to the three hounds, Buster knew Scoot was lying. _I'm going to pay your 'friend' a visit, Scoot. Early in the morning, in your little meeting place._ Buster grinned, _if Cap is a fox, and he's a little kid… maybe I could torture him into luring Tod…_

 _AND I'LL KILL BOTH OF THEM!_

* * *

 ** _Part I Character Sheet_**

 **Minor Characters**

 **Tod** : A fox from Copper's past. He tends to run into hunters, and has paid dearly for it, with the life of his two children. His last whereabouts are unknown.

 **Vixey** : Tod's mate.

 **Copper** : A proud hunting dog. Thanks to the help of his mentor Chief, he has become the greatest hunting dog in the area. He holds a secret from his entire family though, dealing with his old childhood fox friend, Tod.

 **Chief** : Copper's mentor. Hates foxes, and is retired from hunting. Reluctantly allows Cap to play with Scoot.

 **Daisy** : Copper's wife.

 **Shadow** : Copper's daughter. Curious and innocent.

 **Amos Slade** : Copper's master. He loves his pets, and would do anything for them, if they needed something. He is the grandfather to Alex, and is the father of Liam. While he dislikes the fact that his grandson's hound is hanging out with game animals, he doesn't go out of his way to harm their friendship.

 **Liam Slade** : Alex Slade's father, and Amos' son. The primary human antagonist. After his wife died two years ago, Liam became a raging alcoholic. He never really hurt anyone, but his rage is taken out on his hunts. He likes torturing the animals that he hunts, and never humanely disposes of his game. His primary hunting hound is Buster.

 **Widow Tweed** : Amos Slade's friend. While the two have scuffled in the past, they have found a way to make up their differences.

 **Major Characters:**

 **Scoot:** Our main protagonist. Copper's son, and Alex's puppy. He wants to become the greatest hound dog in the region, like his father. His loneliness has caused him to bump into an unlikely friend though, a fox named 'Cap'.

 **Cap** : Our secondary protagonist. The son of Tod. Cap found Scoot face down in the dirt one day, and like that, they became the best of friends! Secretly, his real name is Copper, after his father's childhood friend.

 **Alex** : The hunter, Scoot's master. While he enjoys hunting animals, he is unlike his Father and grandfather, and would rather give the animals he hunts a painless death. He allows Scoot and Cap's friendship, and even befriends the fox Cub.

 **Buster:** Amos'shound dog. The primary antagonist. Saved from the pound, Amos brought Buster home after he realized Chief wasn't going to be able to hunt like he used too. Amos leaves Buster with the puppies he recruits for the season, which stay on a farm on the other side of the city. Buster promotes violence. He knows about Copper's friendship with Tod, and is jealous that Copper is a better hunter then he is, despite this oddity. His secret goal is to one day kill Tod, and anyone related to him, for unknown reasons in the past. What could this mysterious hound be hiding?


	13. Chapter 12: Still the Best of Friends

**II** Chapter 12: Still the Best of Friends

Monday, Slade Residence

Since it was Monday, Alex went back to school, and Scoot was lonely in the morning again. He accidentally slept through the afternoon, until the sound of a distant scream woke him up. The puppy got up, and was walking around his yard, trying to see if there was anything peculiar. _Well that's odd,_ Scoot thought _, Buster is_ _nowhere_ _to be seen_! _But what was that scream?_ And then it hit him. _Cap!_

* * *

Side of the road

Cap was having a terrible time. Not only did his friend not show up, he had to deal with his friend's new psycho-maniac "relative". The hound picked Cap off the ground with his teeth, and threw him at the tree. There was no time for introductions, as Buster wanted to end the fox quickly.

"So, you're Cap, huh?" Grimaced Buster, standing over the beaten-up fox kit. He threw him on the ground again.

"How do you know my name, Jerk?" whined Cap.

Buster beamed, "seems like your 'friend' betrayed you. Funny how he isn't here to save you, huh. Quite the opposite of his father's experience, gwahaha."

 _No, I refuse to believe it,_ thought Cap, _Scoot wouldn't tell this bully about me!_ With all his energy, Cap darted past Buster. _So unwise!_ thought the black hound, before giving chase.

Cap searched for a safe place. _There,_ he thought, spotting a small formation of rocks, with a space that was just large enough for him to crawl through. Before buster could catch up, he successfully dodged under the rock. Buster angrily swiped at him, but he could only get his claws mere inches away from Cap's face. _Please help me Scoot!_

* * *

Scoot dashed up the road, _I hope I'm not too late!_ He thought. He spotted the yellow sign, and his newfound enemy. His arrival just fueled the black hound's hatred even more.

"Look who decided to finally show up! Now I can teach you a huntin' lesson!" Buster exclaimed.

Scoot scowled and said, "I'm here to teach _you_ a lesson, jerk!"

Buster laughed at the puppy's ego. "What lesson? Not to mess with your 'friend'? Whom you are bred to kill? You are a hound and he is a fox. Let me be clear, you are a hunting HOUND and he is a pestilent FOX". Buster knew that Scoot was no match for him.

"And you are nothing but a jerk!" said a young voice from under the rocks. Scoot ducked and noticed Cap, in his cramped safe space.

"When I get you," vowed Buster, "I am going to RIP you APART!"

Cap screamed, "somebody help!"

* * *

Copper and Slade arrived home, as it was 3 PM. They were getting ready for the onslaught of hunting dogs and their owners. That would happen tomorrow. When Copper got near Chief however, he had a worried expression.

"What's the matter ol' pal?" the coonhound asked his superior. Chief never really worried about anything in his life.

"I heard screaming, Copper. Coming from the bridge!"

Copper understood completely, "and with Buster missing that means...".

"BUSTER FOLLOWED SCOOT!" They shouted in unison.

"Chief, I have to go make sure Cap is safe. That conniving hound is going to kill him!"

"Good luck to you, pal," said the older hound, as Copper took off toward the field.

* * *

As it turns out, Chief wasn't the only canine who heard the screaming pleas of a kit. In the forest, a father heard his son's cry for help.

 _That sounds like Copper_ , Todd thought. _I'm coming for you, son!_ He didn't notice his daughter stalking him to his destination.

What he didn't realize, was that he was going to meet someone he hadn't talked to in a long time. And, that the event would have _negative_ consequences.

* * *

Copper ran as fast as he could to the field. When he arrived, he was displeased at the sight. The black hound still didn't notice him; he was horrifying Cap about his "plans" for him. "When I get to you, I'm going to Tear your face, bite off your legs, and rip out your throat." The hound laughed. "The longer you wait under there, the worse your Demise will be. So, _tick tock little fox_."

"You... aren't going to kill me," Cap whimpered.

Scoot was above the rocks, crying. His father was not pleased of the scene.

"That's enough!" stormed Copper, " leave, Buster!"

But the hound just smirked. "You actually think I'm going to listen to you, _best hunting dog_? You don't even deserve that title! Because you stick up for them!" He pointed to Cap, who was crying under the rock alcove.

Copper sighed, "Yeah, I'm not the one screwed up enough to slaughter children. It's called not being a monster. You must be so proud! I don't EVER hunt children!"

Buster chuckled, "That may be true, Copper. However, I'm inclined to believe you only protect this one, because it's friends with your kid."

Copper was silent.

Then Buster added, "It might have to do with who the _father_ is also... Heheheh."

"You want to deal with my father?" whined Cap. "He'll claw your eyes out, jerk!"

Buster came to a realization. _Maybe my master could be the one to finish him off. It might be easier to get Tod that way._

Buster sighed, "You know what Cap, maybe you're right. Maybe I should mangle you up before my master instead! We can do this another day!"

Cap gulped.

Buster started to leave for home. But he had to get one last word in, "You'd look better with a bullet in your head". He could be heard laughing as he left. Then, he was gone. But, he was actually hiding nearby. He knew his prey would come.

Copper trembled, "You know kid, I should say I'm surprised at what he said. But, I'm not. One bit."

Cap crawled out from under his hiding spot. "He's so mean, Copper. He just seems so full of hate."

"I told you so," Scoot mocked. "he's just a jerk, nothing else to it!"

"It seems like you're in danger anywhere you go now, Cap," sighed Copper, "we gotta get rid-"

Copper's sentence was cut short. For an instant, he saw a flash of red, which then tackled him to the ground.

"Trying to show your little runt how to hunt my kid, eh?" the attacker questioned.

Copper was basically paralyzed. What attacked him, was the _father_ of the young fox kit: an adult red fox.

"Dad?" Cap questioned.

The older fox noticed his son was beaten up a bit. He pressed down harder on Copper. "And you've already injured him! You know what I do to hounds who hurt my family? I knock some sense into their heads!"

"Dad, wait, stop!" Cap yelled.

"You stay out of this Copper! You don't know their kind like I do!" the father shouted back.

For that moment, Copper completely forgot that it was Tod who was Cap's father. It was Tod who attacked him. He was able to release enough energy to throw the fox off of him. "You are blaming me for attacking your son, fox? If you were here a couple minutes earlier, you would know I did quite the opposite".

The fox growled, "you are lying. You are showing your kid how to kill game. That's all you hounds EVER. DO. I guess I have to kill you now in front of your son. A shame, it's not how I usually deal with you mutts."

"So be it, fox," Copper groaned. He lunged for the fox, but Todd dodged his attack. They ran around each other, trying to get the perfect critical blow. Their sons were horrified.

"Your dad is trying to kill my dad!" cried Scoot.

"And your dad is trying to kill my dad!" cried Cap.

What could have been solved with a simple explanation, evolved into a fight for survival. The fox was quite strong, Copper was surprised, despite him being heavier. In the end however, Copper stood the victor. He stood on top of Tod's exhausted body, pressing lightly on his throat.

Tod's face was full of sadness. He let a hound beat him, and now he thought he was going to kill his son. "Im sorry Copper!" he wept, "I couldn't save you!"

Copper didn't pay attention to Tod's whining, and pressed harder on Tod's throat. However, Tod was able to latch onto Copper's paw with his teeth.

The children had had enough.

"Tod!" Scoot screamed, "stop hurting my dad!"

"What?!" Tod cried, surprised, and released Copper's paw. Copper still didn't let go of him.

"Copper, get off my dad, please," Cap cried.

"Cap, if he hadn't attacked me..." Copper yelled.

Tod still had no idea what was going on, but Copper softened up on his grip.

"Tod, listen to me!" Scoot pleaded.

"Why would I listen to you?" Inquired the fox, "and how in the hell do you know my name?"

Scoot exclaimed, "Because me and Copper are best friends!"

Copper finally snapped out of it. He knew who he was attacking. It was his best friend. And now he knew Cap's _real_ name. He still pinned Tod down, but released his paw from his throat.

"You're best friends with a fox, you little mutt?" Tod asked, confused.

"His name is Scoot, dad," Cap interrupted, "and he's my friend. Just like you have a friend who's a hound. As a matter of fact, you named me after him, remember?"

Copper lept off of Todd. The fox was still a little confused. "I named you after my friend, Copper. What does that have to do with anything?"

"Tod," Scoot replied, "I'm Copper's son. Remember me and my sister from the forest? We didn't attack you!"

Finally, Tod was able to piece the situation together.

Copper was delighted, having found out the truth.

"You named him after me?" Copper happily asked.

"Copper..."

"Tod..."

They both took a moment to catch their breath.

"Copper", Tod gasped. "You're a father?"

"And so are you!" his friend replied. "Nice seeing you again pal."

Tod didn't know what to say. He attacked his childhood friend! He finally stammered out an apology.

"I'm s- sorry Copper," Tod said, "I didn't know it was you." The fox sighed, " I just want to make sure my family's safe."

"I understand Tod," Copper responded, "Cap told me you've been through a lot. Umm... I mean little Copper told me. You can't trust us hounds."

Tod looked at their two sons, happily standing side by side. "They get along pretty well, don't they"?

"They're inseparable, Tod," replied Copper, "they really look out for each other. As a matter of fact, your son rescued mine from drowning in a mud puddle."

"That's really nice Copper, but," Tod pondered for a moment. "Their friendship can't last. I'm just worried about your hunters getting to my kid, Copper. Remember what happened when we were younger..."

"You don't have to worry too much, Tod!" Scoot exclaimed, "my hunter plays with Cap too! He knows we're friends."

"Who is Cap?" Tod asked. "oh, I get it! That's a terrible alias Copper! _My_ Copper I mean."

"Also Tod, " Copper added, "Amos still doesn't like foxes, but he seems to have no problem with Cap hanging out with Scoot."

Tod was kind of shocked that his old nemesis was actually kind to his child. "And... Chief?" Tod asked.

"He won't hurt me, because it would make Scoot mad!" Cap said.

"So, is the farm safe now?" Tod questioned, still hardly believing his son, 'I wouldn't think everyone would be so chill now."

"Not quite, unfortunately," Copper replied, "sadly there's a hound on our farm who wants to kill you, because he's jealous of me being the best hunting dog, while I'm also friends with you".

Copper paused, then continued, "you aren't safe Tod. This hound will stop at nothing to get what he wants."

"And how do we get rid of him?" asked Tod, worried.

"Avoid him for the next three months." Copper said.

"Oh, that's great advice Copper," Tod mocked, "I just found out that history repeats itself, AND there's a hound trying to kill me and my family. It's been a great day, I'm tellin' ya!"

The four of them didn't notice the young vixen who was watching them from behind a tree. She was listening to _every_ word.

We'll be fine dad! I promise!" Cap said, "besides, Copper here will help us out. Uhh, right Copper?"

Copper pondered for a moment. "I want to help you guys, only because I don't want to see you get killed. I don't want to see you get maimed by buster."

"Thanks for looking out for us pal!" Tod said. "you're still cool, Copper."

Copper smiled. He finally had his old friend back. The conversation continued. "Hey Todd, how is your family anyway? I hope your mate doesn't still hate me."

The fox chuckled, "they're doing fine! Just taught the little ones how to hunt! And no, Copper, Vixie knows it was all a misunderstanding." Tod continued, "after all, we're all adults now, it's not worth it remembering petty issues in the past".

"Cap told me you have a daughter too?" Copper asked. However, his answer was right in front of him, as the white vixen jumped out from her hiding spot.

"Lily?!" Tod was startled. "did you follow me here?"

"Yep! Sure did! I wanted to be mischievous like my brother!"

Cap laughed. "You'll never take that title from me!"

Copper stared at the vixen in awe. "Todd... she's... beautiful." Lily was mostly white, with parts of her body orange. Her tail was white, with an orange tip. She looked exactly how Cap described: same colors as him, but she was the opposite.

"And I worry for her life," Tod saddened, "her coat is just too special for hunters to pass up".

Scoot also noticed Lily's strange palette. "My sister's black, and you're mostly white! I wonder if you two would get along—"

"A girl!?" Lily happily interrupted, "You have a sister! I want a hound friend too daddy!"

"That's a pipe dream kid, " Tod sadly replied, "you're endangered outside of the forest."

"Dad," the Vixen wined, "you need to loosen your grip! I'll be fin-"

"I can't lose my children again!" Tod outburst, tears forming in his eyes.

Copper looked at his friend, and Tod gazed back. "I'm sorry, I just... can't," the older fox stammered. "Come on. Copper, Lily, let's go home. We can't repeat the errors of the past."

Tod's next line sent Scoot bursting into tears.

"Say goodbye to your friend."

And like that, Scoot turned into what essentially could be described as a water sprinkler. "I'm losing my only friend?"

Tod stared at Scoot. _Oh kid, it's not your fault! I was the one who couldn't let your dad go. It was hard for me, as it'll be for you._ "I'm sorry."

Tod and his children started to walk away, but Cap was fighting back. "What if I don't want to go home?"

Tod stopped and looked at his son. "I know, little Copper, that you think things will always be this way, and that nothing will change your friendship."

Scoot winced.

Tod continued, "but after the hunt, your friend will change. He will remember the fun you both had. The laughter, the games. But despite this, he has an allegiance to his master: and that is to kill as much game as possible, and scrape their hide."

"That's not true!" Scoot shouted. "I don't _ever_ want to hurt your Copper! I don't think my master does either!"

Tod grumbled. This was certainly a difficult situation for him, and Copper realized this. So, Copper came up with a plan. "Tod, I'm home on the weekends. I could watch after them with Scoot's master. He adores the damn kit! He won't hurt him!"

Tod took a deep breath, then sighed, "I want to trust you Copper. I really do. If you can watch after them, then _maybe_ we can make this work."

"Please, dad?" Cap pleaded.

Tod thought long and hard. But, if it's what his son wanted, and he would be relatively safe, then what was the issue? "You know what, fine."

Tod walked toward Copper, and stared into his friend's eyes. "But if he gets hurt. You'll regret it."

 _Wow_ , thought Scoot, _Cap's_ _father is actually pretty serious._

With that lovely exchange over, both families returned to their homes.

But first, Tod had to have a talk with his son. "Lily, go home. I need to talk to your brother."

"Ok, dad." The white kit left for home.

Cap was scared. He knew what his father was going to say. He put his head down towards the ground. Tod just looked at his son, with a frown.

"Look, Copper," Tod said. "I'm not mad at you for playing with Scoot." Cap put his head up. His father continued, "I'm mad at you because you _lied_ to me. I thought you were safe in the forest. Then, you almost get torn apart by a hound!?"

Cap looked his father in the eyes, but he remained silent. Tod sighed. "Do you know why I worry about you so much? You and your sister?" Cap got all teary-eyed.

Tod answered, "It's because I love you." He placed his front leg on Cap's head, and nuzzled him.

Cap started crying.

"I don't want you to get hurt Copper. You, your mother and Lily mean _everything_ in the world to me. One day, Copper, you might have a family of your own. You'll be just as overprotective as I am."

"I know dad, I know."

Tod sighed. "I told you, that your brother and sister died a year before you were born. I don't want you to have the same fate."

Still, Copper was feeling sad. He knew what was coming. What Tod said Next surprised him though. "I'm not going to punish you."

"Really?" Whined Cap.

"Really. I think you learned your lesson. Just, please, be careful around your friend, Copper. Please. I don't trust him or his master quite yet."

"I'm sorry, Dad."

"It's ok, Copper. Now, let's get home!"

The two of them ran home together.

No one noticed Buster hiding in the bushes near the bridge that day. He heard and saw the whole conflict. At home, he was pondering on the meeting. _What a happy reunion today, aww! For a second, I thought Copper was going to kill Tod. But now... I can kill Tod! And Liam would LOVE that Vixen's coat hanging up on our wall!_

 _It's going to be a bloody season!_

 _A/N: Hope you guys don't mind me eh... attempting a song next chapter! You'll love it! It's about death! And killing! Buster explains to Cap in grim detail how hunting works, only in edgy song lyrics! Don't miss it!_


	14. Chapter 13: Little Amounts of Trouble

A/N: Oh God, here we go! This chapter's a little goofy, to take a break from the dark storyline.

Chapter 13: Big Trouble in Little Amounts

Last Tuesday of March

Scoot was woken awake by the sounds of young dogs barking. "What in the hay?"

His sister was as surprised as he was, "There are… a lot of them!"

Scoot got up, and peeked outside his dog house. He saw many hounds, and some puppies who weren't quite hunting dogs. _Oh nelly. I guess these are my new "friends"._

* * *

Meanwhile, Buster had plans. You'd think he'd just march into the forest, and slaughter Tod's family while they were sleeping. _But no_ , he had to toy with his prey first. He finally found what he was looking for in the forest.

"Well Cap," Buster questioned, "what are you doing so far from home, little one?"

"Why do you care?" Asked the fox. "Don't you want to kill me?"

"Certainly, I do," replied the hound. "but I feel a bit bad for you."

"Why would you feel bad for me?"

"I want to help you Cap. You must know: Scoot is not your friend!"

"WHAT?!"

Buster sang:

¶ A long time ago, our species lived in peace…

 _Oh, no,_ thought Cap.

¶ Playing together, they thought the fun would ne-ver cease

 _I think I'll just off myself, thanks Buster._

¶ Till one day Man got ahold

¶ Thought they were ever so bold

¶ Teaching the dogs to kill their friends…

"Hahaha," laughed Buster. "You know what, Cap?"

"What?"

¶ The hunt NEVER ENDS!

Cap was thrown aback.

¶ You think that little Scoot is your friend?

¶ How cute, how do you think this will end?

"Not very good, kit!"

¶ For let me tell you a story

¶ That ends bloody and gory

¶ Of Predator… And Prey!

"Pay attention Now!"

¶ The hound chases the fox to exhaustion

¶ The prey has no time for precaution

¶ The dog tackles the fox

¶ Enjoys it's painful little squawks

¶ Then the hunter ends the game!

"BAM!" Buster was imitating a gun shot.

¶ Such a shame!

Scoot didn't know what was worse: Buster singing, or the story he was conveying.

¶ So, let me help you with your misconception!

¶ So you don't fall for the hound's deception!

¶ I understand that you're sad

¶ How could Scoot be so bad?

¶ Well I guess we need to recap!

¶ So listen closely! Cap!

 _MAKE. IT. STOP!_ Cap thought _._

¶ The hound chases the fox to exhaustion

¶ The prey has no time for precaution

¶ The dog pins down the fox

¶ Enjoys its painful little squawks

¶ Then the hunter ends the game!

"BAM!"

Such a shame!

"Seems like this is too light for you Cap! How about I detail what will happen to you when you're older!"

¶ The foolish prey tries to meet with his friend

¶ But the predator knows that THE HUNT NEVER ENDS!

¶ He turns you in to his master

¶ If only you could run faster

"But you can't because…"

¶ Your leg's been chewed off

¶ The hound sniffs and he scoffs

¶ And the hunter enjoys the sight

"AIN'T THAT RIGHT?!"

¶ Your 'friend' chases you to exhaustion

¶ You had no time for precaution

¶ Old friend rips you apart

¶ He then tears out your heart

¶Then the hunter he shoots!

"BAM!"

¶ All the work of… lit tle Scoots_ AH HA HA!

* * *

While Buster was in the forest tormenting Cap with his song, Scoot was trying to make some new friends.

He came upon a group of five dogs: four male, one female.

"Howdy fellas! I'm Scoot!"

The five dogs looked up at him. "Uhm…," one of the males, a greyhound said, "did we ask you?"

Scoot was saddened. No, he was enraged. "Uhm, _excuse me_ , I'm Copper's son, and I DESERVE to be TREATED with RESPECT!" However, he knew he was being ignorant. "I'm sorry," he apologized, "I just want some friends."

The greyhound couldn't treat Copper's son with disrespect! "I think I got carried away, Scoot. My name's Gray."

Scoot was shocked. Now, the hound was being nice to him.

"Come," said Gray, "sit down with us". Scoot obliged.

"My name's Annie, "said the female foxhound, "but just call me Ann!"

"My name is Killer!" said a male beagle, "You better watch it, pup!" The beagle laughed.

"I'm Thunder!" said a male husky, "hear me roar! AWOOOOHHHHH!"

"And I'm Jet!" exclaimed the last male dog, a young Great Dane.

"Well, it's nice to meet you guys!" Scoot declared. "Say, do you guys like to play… _tag?"_

"Heck yeah dude!" shouted Jet, "let's get this game on!"

 _These puppies are cool, thought Scoot. But I worry about Cap…. Nah, he's fine!_

And so, Scoot played with his newfound friends. Of course, he didn't forget about his fox buddy! But he wasn't too worried right now.

* * *

"You see," Buster told Cap, "he's replaced you!" They were both hiding in the bush, looking out at the group of six puppies, who were laughing and playing. Buster continued, "He's going to become a different dog hanging out with them Cap. He's going to forget you."

While Cap didn't believe any words that Buster said, he still started to shed tears.

"And then," Buster said, "you become their _prey."_ Buster then walked out of the bush. "I won't be so kind to you next time, Cap. And you _know_ what that means."

The fox was alone now.

 _Scoot is my friend,_ thought Cap _, he won't hurt me…_

His friend's past statements ran through his head.

" _I'm not going to hurt you, we're friends, remember?"_

" _So, now I'm losing my friend, dad?"_

" _He knows we're friends."_

 _"That's not true! I don't_ _ever_ _want to hurt your Copper! I don't think my master does either!"_

" _Because me and Copper are best friends!"_

 _I need to talk to him… tonight._

* * *

That night

"Will you stop looking at me like that!" exclaimed Annie, "you're creepin' me out Scoots!"

"Looks like somebody's _falling_ in love!" jeered Thunder.

Scoot was a little embarrassed. "I'm sorry I can't help that she's beautiful!" Annie blushed. Scoot continued, "but it's not love at first sight! We're just puppies!"

Killer laughed. "Yeah, it's just _puppy love!"_ He rolled his eyes. "Nothin' wrong wit dat!"

"Hey, I got an idea!" said Gray, "why don't we show each other our special talents! I'll start!"

Gray got up, and picked up a stick off the ground. He ran to one of the tiki torches dotting Amos' yard. He placed the stick in the fire, and let it catch. He then drove the stick into the ground. "Pretty neat huh?" Gray said.

"Ok, I'll go next!" Annie volunteered. "I can do cries from different animals. Most notably, the cries of a fox. Pretty useful, since I'm a foxhound after all!" So, Annie recreated the cry of a fox.

 _That's pretty accurate!_ Thought Scoot _, it sounds like Cap when he was crying for help yesterday!_

Killer laughed. "I would show you my talent, but it's my namesake, and frankly, I don't have any animals to tear apart. I do kill quick though! I'm extremely stealthy!"

"Alright," Thunder said. "I can sneak under any fence, gate, you name it. There is nothing stopping me!" He chuckled, "I even got in the game reserve once! Scared the heck out of those critters!"

"So", Jet began, "at night, you can't see me! Since I'm mostly pitch black, I like to hunt at night. They never see me coming!"

"What about you, Scoot?" asked Gray.

Scoot knew exactly what he was going to show the group, all thanks to his furry friend. "You guys ever tried climbing trees?"

"WHAT?!" The group screamed in surprise.

Scoot chuckled, then ran for the closest tree. Using all his speed, he got to the top, before launching himself off the trunk, into the branches.

"It's easy!" he mocked, before climbing back down.

"Wow!" Gray exclaimed, "where'd you learn to do that?"

"Uhm," Scoot mumbled. "I have a friend that showed me."

"Interesting," replied Annie. "What kind of friend can do that?"

"It's a secret". Scoot winked. _She's so beautiful…_

* * *

Scoot's little group didn't consist of all the young dogs Amos was responsible for. There were around 30 total, and doghouses were spread all over Amos' yard. Luckily, Scoot's was moved near the edge of the forest, and Annie's was right next to his. He wasn't expecting any visitors. It was late at night, and all the puppies were asleep.

" _Psst, hey Scoot._ "

Scoot opened his eyes. " _Hey Cap! How have you been_?"

Cap's eyes watered. " _We're still friends… aren't we_?"

Scoot was confused, _why does Cap think we aren't friends anymore? IS it because I was hanging out with a group of dogs?_ " _Of course, Copper! you're my best friend!_ " Scoot looked around the yard. " _But you have to go now, it's not safe here for you. You might wake up Annie her_ —"

" _Hey Scoots,"_ a female voice whispered, " _too late! Who ya talkin' to?"_ And then she peaked out of her doghouse and saw Cap.

"FOX!" Annie screamed, "GET THE FO—"

"Annie, quit it!" Scoot put his paw over her muzzle, "It's okay! He's with me."

Annie and Cap stared down each other. Cap knew what Scoot was thinking. "Aww, you're protecting me from your new girlfriend!" Cap teased.

"She is NOT my girlfriend!" Scoot retorted, "She's just a _friend,_ ok?"

"Hahaha!" Annie laughed. "You know, Scoots, if the other four find out you're hanging out with a fox, you'll become the laughing stock of the hunt! Then, so much for being the offspring of the great Copper, right!?"

"Uh, Scoot," Cap chuckled. "You gonna tell her?"

Silence. Cap was having none of it.

"Allow me to introduce myself," Cap said, "you've already seen that Scoot calls me Cap but, that's not my real name."

"Really? Then what is it?" asked Annie, curious.

Cap grinned. "My dad was friends with a hound dog, and he named me after him!"

"Oh, really?" questioned Annie. "What was this _hound's_ name?

Cap smiled. "Copper. My name is Copper."

Annie couldn't believe it. The _great_ Copper she had heard about had a fox as a friend? "I don't believe it! One bit!"

"It's true!" Scoot interrupted, "the great Copper has a secret, and Cap told you it! If you want to ask dad tomorrow, then why don't ya? Just ask him who his friend Tod is, and he'll tell ya!"

"And now I'm friends with Copper's kid!" Cap exclaimed, "funny how that works, eh?"

Then, Cap remembered earlier that day. "If we're… still friends."

"CAP!" Scoot exclaimed, "We're still friends! What got in your head?" But scoot had a clue. "It was Buster, wasn't it? Cap nodded.

"Don't believe a thing he says, Cap!"

The fox shifted his hat 90 degrees. "Does this look better, ya think?"

Annie laughed.

"Well that was kinda random…" Scoot said.

"I Had to get that jerk off my mind! Just pretend me turning the hat is like a new page. Forgetting about him." replied Cap.

"Or you just wanted to look gangsta!" exclaimed Annie.

The three of them laughed.

"You're alright, Cap," Annie beamed. "You're alright…".

A/N Now that we got that stupid chapter out of the way, its time to get back on track! Also, the talents are complete filler, and will never be mentioned in the story again!


	15. Chapter 14: Bear Attack!

**II** Chapter 14: Bear Attack!

Last Wednesday of March

Inside Amos' house

Alex and Amos were listening to the radio.

 _We bring you an alert for your area! A truck carrying a large Black Bear to the Philadelphia Zoo, has crashed on the interstate, near exit 266. There is a possibility that the bear is in your area, so for the time being, it is best to stay indoors! Thank you, and stay safe!_

"Aww come on, Alex!" Amos said, "there is no reason for th' bear t' be here!"

But Alex was worried. "Grandpa, exit 266 is _a mile_ away from here! That's too darn close! We gotta worry about the dogs!"

Still, Amos was more relaxed. "It has no reason to come ova' here Alex! Besides, that there bear's gotta be extremel' hungry to eat anythin'!"

"Well I'm gonna keep an eye on the puppies! When do we train again?"

"It starts Saturday, Sonny."

* * *

Amos' Backyard

"You ever had a chance to eat chocolate?" Thunder asked. "I did! It tastes _awesome_ and makes you really really really really really—"

"You finished yet?" asked Gray.

The husky pounced on him. "HYPER!" he exclaimed.

The other four dogs in the group were groaning.

"Ugh," said Jet. "So, YOU'RE the one who kept yelling last night!"

"Uhh guys," Thunder replied. "I was asleep all night."

"Actually," Scoot said, "I was kinda loud last night. I was yelling at the forest. Annie can confirm this. I'm crazy."

Annie nodded her head. "Uhhh… mmhm!"

The other four just looked at her like she was crazy.

"So," Killer broke the silence, "did you guys here about the bear that just got lost nearby?"

"WHAT?!"

"No way!"

"You can't be serious!"

"Yeah!" The beagle continued. "Scoot's master was mumbling about it?"

"Don't be CAH-razy!" shouted Scoot. "That bear is probably nowhere near here!"

* * *

Cap peaked out of his _burrow_. There was a large black figure nearby. It wasn't moving toward him though. As a matter of fact, it was heading in the direction of Scoot's home.

"Uhh, Dad?" Cap startled his father awake.

"Wh- what Copper?" Questioned Tod.

"There's a large bear, and it's heading toward Scoot and Copper's house."

"WHAT!?" Tod had to see for himself. Running outside of their burrow, he could spot in the distance, the black bear, who was getting further away from them. "Yeah, that's a problem".

"So, what do we do? I DON'T WANT SCOOT TO GET EA—"

"Shhh!" interrupted Tod. "Don't wake your mother and sister up!"

Cap had a worried look on his face. "I don't want my friend to get hurt. And his uh… new friends."

"New friends? You mean like other hunting dogs?"

"Yeah!"

 _Alright,_ Tod thought, _so it seems like there's some sort of training thing going on at Amos' place. While it's a terrible idea to go there with all the dogs, the bear would be attracted to them if it was hungry. "_ Copper, do me a favor."

"Yes, dad?"

"I need you to go warn Scoot and the _other_ Copper about the bear. See if you could get him to make the other dogs leave. When it becomes safe, I'll try to help him take it down."

"I'm on it dad!"

The young fox ran toward his friend's home.

* * *

At Amos' backyard, there was a large table, with all sorts of food on it. It was lunch time, and all the hunters were preparing to sit down. Amos invited Widow Tweed over, and she brought over her famous apple pie. Alex was passing out the main dish: chicken.

"This here chick'n is made right here on th' farm!" Amos proudly declared. "Only the fah'nest _real_ meat fo ya rowdy scallywags."

The guests smiled, then dug in to their food.

"Yeah! It's dee-licious," one of the hunters proclaimed.

Still, Alex was starting to get worried about the possibility of a bear attack. He secretly fed a chicken wing to Daisy and Shadow, who were lying under the table. _I'm so worried about my puppy,_ Alex thought.

* * *

Scoot and his group of friends were on the opposite side of the yard, next to the fence that marked the boundary between the Tweed and Slade properties. They were playing around with a tennis ball.

Cap was hiding in the bushes. Trying to think of how he could alert Scoot. Luckily for him, Annie was close by.

" _Hey!_ " Cap whispered. "Scoot's _girlfriend_."

The foxhound searched for where the voice came from, before finally sticking her head in the bush.

"Little fox!? _What are you doing here_?"

" _I came to warn you guys."_

" _About what?"_

" _Tell Scoot to warn his dad: there's a bear nearby! I saw it!"_

" _No way!"_

" _You gotta get all the pups inside, Annie!"_

" _I'll go tell Copper!"_

" _Good! Now go!"_

Annie dashed toward the other side of the yard.

"Where ya goin?" asked Gray.

But the foxhound just kept running. Copper was near the barn, and Chief and Buster were with him. Copper smiled as the young hound ran toward him, but his smile quickly changed to a frown, when he saw her worried facial expression.

The foxhound spoke, "Copper, there is a bear coming! You have to get the other dogs to safety!"

Chief laughed at her. "Haha, I heard about the bear, but there's nothing to worry about!"

"But… this is different. I know it's nearby." Stammered the puppy.

"And how would you know, you could be pranking us," Buster mocked.

"Because," the foxhound trembled, "Scoot's little- fox- friend- told me".

That statement made Chief and Buster angry. But Copper remained calm. He walked over to Annie and whispered in her ear. " _So, you know about Cap? Don't mention him around Buster. He wants to kill him."_

Annie nodded.

"Good," Copper said. "Let's warn everyone."

For the next ten minutes, Copper, Chief and Buster rounded up all the puppies into one area. Except for Scoot's group. They were still playing around with the ball, but Annie was running back towards them. However, as she arrived in the group, they heard a growl in the forest.

"What's that… _sound?"_ Killer whimpered.

Scoot mocked him, "Oh, come on! Your name is killer, and you're afraid of that which you can't see? You need to—"

Scoot's speech was cut short, as the bear burst through the bushes. "Uhh... what I meant was, you need to… RUN!"

The group of dogs ran as fast as they could across the yard, but it was no use! The bear stopped them in their tracks.

"FEED MEEEEEEEE!" The beast screamed, "I'M HUNGRY!" The bear swiped at Killer, but it missed. The puppies were scared to death, but they were surprised when the bear stopped clawing at them.

* * *

Amos saw the bear from the other side of the yard. "I guess you were right Alex! Get the puppies in the barn!"

"I've been doing it for the past five minutes, because I didn't believe that this wasn't going to happen!" Alex mocked.

"Right, then carry on!"

"I'm almost done Grandpa, except were missing five dogs, Scoot, Copper, and Chief! Why don't you finish, and I'll go save my dog!"

Alex finally took a breath, and ran off. But first, he ran inside to get a special weapon: his tranquilizer rifle, from when he first learned how to hunt.

* * *

Copper caught the bear off-guard, and bit into its back. He didn't know, however, that Chief followed him.

"Go dad, go!" Scoot shouted. But, he noticed his dad was having trouble. Luckily for Copper, he had a friend watching the scene from the forest.

"Alright kid," Tod told Cap, "I'm, gonna go help my friend! And you gotta make sure that those puppies don't chase me!"

"Uhh, da—"

"There's no time!" The older fox ran toward the forest exit.

Copper lost the grip on the bear, and it started heading for Chief. "Chief! What are you doing here!" the bloodhound shouted.

Chief was knocked on the ground by the bear. He attempted to get up, but he was weak from the attack. The bear started to close in on him. Chief started to close his eyes, but then something surprised him. At that moment, a streak of red shot across his vision, and rammed into the bear. _What the hay?_ Thought Chief.

"Hey!" shouted Killer, "I knew I was smellin' a fox!" I'm gonna catch—"

Scoot pinned down Killer. "If you want to survive, Killer, it's best to let that fox live!"

"You make no sense!" exclaimed Killer. "How could a _fox_ of all things possibly help us? They are just game animals that we kill!"

"Don't be ignorant!" Scoot yelled. "That fox is helping my dad take down the bear!"

"WHAT are you talking about?" demanded Gray.

Scoot sighed, _here it goes._ "That fox is my dad's friend."

And he was! Tod and Copper both latched onto the bear, and through their combined effort, they were both able to bring it down on its stomach. The only problem now, was that the puppies were thinking about attacking Tod… until his son rammed into them!

"Oww!" Scoot painfully shouted. "What hit me?" He was surprised to see his group of friend's snarling at him. No, they were snarling at the creature who landed on top of him.

"It's a fox!" Screamed Jet, as he attempted to pounce on Cap. This failed however, as Scoot placed his friend on the ground, and covered him from attack.

"What are you doing, Traitor!" shouted Thunder, "You are supposed to kill those crazy things!"

Gray had a sadistic idea. "Alright, so how about us five take a vote, to see if we agree on pouncing on Scoot, and killing that kit! Majority rules!"

Scoot gulped. "Wh- why, guys?"

Gray started calling names. "I vote yes. Thunder?"

"Yep"

"Jet?"

"Yes"

"Killer?"

"I want to shred that fox!"

"Ok, Annie?... _Annie?"_

"I vote no."

Gray was conflicted. "Annie, judging by the fact that you're a foxhound, you are supposed to hunt foxes. So, I'm surprised you said 'no'. Gray smiled. "You don't want to hurt your boyfriend's feelings… do you?"

"It's not that, Gray, it's that—"

"WELL IT'S A FREAKING FOX! Gray angrily shouted.

"YEAH! HE'S A FREAKING FOX! Scoot also angrily shouted, "BUT I DON'T CARE WHAT YOU DO TO ME! BECAUSE YOU AREN'T GETTING TO HIM! HE'S MY FRIEND! DEAL WITH IT! YOU AREN'T HURTING COPPER!"

Gray was confused. "We aren't going to touch your dad, you idiot! We want to get that fox!"

Cap growled, and rolled out from under Scoot. He wanted so bad to yell at the greyhound. "No, _YOU idiot!_ _My_ name is Copper! After the hound!"

Gray put his paw in front of Cap's face, his nails nearly touching his fur. "You're cute kid! Likely story, but no matter how cute ya are, you're still just _game._ He swiped his nail against Cap's forehead, causing blood to leak out.

Cap screamed.

The other puppies were just watching gray torment the fox. Scoot was getting angry. "Gray!" he snarled. "Stop. Hurting. My. **Friend**!"

"It's a fox, Scoot," chuckled Killer. "It's funny watching him bleed."

Scoot was furious, and his ferocity was only getting worse. He was about to attack Gray, until Annie did it for him.

"Annie?!" questioned the greyhound. "You're a traitor too!? What is so special about the damn fox?! Let me at him." He groaned.

Scoot swiped his paw across Gray's face. Now, he was also bleeding. The greyhound became scared, as he could see the rage in Scoot's eyes. "You… you're crazy. Why, Scoot? I… don't understand".

Scoot calmed down, though it took a while. "Listen to me, please. All of you." He pleaded.

"Ok… fine. I will." Gray sighed.

"I will too…" trembled Killer.

The other four also agreed.

* * *

Just then, the bear was thrashing about on the ground, desperately trying to grab Tod or Copper. The bear flung Tod from him, leading to him crashing right next to Chief.

"Hey, old _friend_ ," mocked the fox.

Chief growled at him. "You don't understand how MUCH I want to TEAR YOU APART!"

Tod chuckled, "Why would you? I just saved you from getting eaten by a bear!"

Chief was confused. "You saved… me?"

"Yep!"

"Why would you do that?"

The fox got up, and shoved his face in Chief's. " _I'm not like you._ "

Tod darted off, back toward the bear, leaving Chief confused. As he did so, Alex was coming to the scene, with the tranquilizer rifle in his hand. _I only have one shot at this,_ thought Alex.

Alex aimed directly at the bear, and fired. Perfect hit! The dart pierced into the bear, injecting the fluid into it. The bear fell asleep a couple minutes later. The authorities were on their way, as Amos called them after he got the rest of the puppies in the barn.

Alex also had his shotgun, and took it out from behind his back, aiming directly at Tod. "Don't move little creep!"

"Oh shoot!" Copper exclaimed. "Alex doesn't know that you're Cap's father!"

"WHAT?!" Tod Shouted.

Copper started barking madly, and running around the yard. This got the attention of Alex, who was distracted just long enough, to allow Tod to escape into the woods. He snuck into the bushes, closely watching his son. Luckily for him, Copper ran back toward Amos, and the confused teen followed him.

* * *

Scoot was telling his story to the group:

 _My owner's never around! He has school to go to every weekday, and I'm here alone._

 _I was so sad one day, that I ran into these bushes, and I blacked out on the ground._

 _When I woke up, Cap was there staring down at me. He saved me from drowning in mud, as embarrassing as that sounds._

 _I asked if we could become friends, since I had no one to play with._

 _Cap agreed, and we played in the field over here, for the past couple weeks._

 _I told my dad about our meeting, and he told me about how he had a fox friend when he was little._

 _We were able to piece our stories together, and I found out that Cap's father, Tod, is actually my dad's fox friend!_

 _Then Cap told me his name was Copper, after my father._

 _Gradually, we figured the backstory out._

 _I found out about his family, and he found out about mine._

 _Even my master likes playing with Cap!_

 _Everything was going great… until Buster showed up._

 _He vowed to kill Tod, and now he wants to kill Cap too!_

 _He said he has a backstory, on why he wants to, but we don't know why that is!_

 _Buster attacked Cap in our new field, which caused our parents to meet again for the first time in a while._

Scoot finished his story. "And now, here we are. I'm defending my old friend from my new friends."

The other dogs were speechless, even Annie.

Cap was the first to break the silence. "If you're gonna play nice Gray, then all is forgiven."

"I… I don't know. I've never actually known a fox before," Gray stammered. "I thought they were evil."

Annie laughed. "This little guy is far from evil! You see the cap he wears? How could a cute fox wearing a cap be evil?"

"Actually," Cap interjected, "there are some pretty mean and stupid foxes out there! I'm just not one of them! For instance, my species can't climb trees, but I was able to learn it from a friend". Cap smiled, "I even passed that knowledge down to Scoot!"

"So, YOU'RE Scoot's secret friend then!" Thunder exclaimed. "It all makes sense now!"

Killer spoke, "you know, Cap, Copper or _whatever_ your name is. I hate saying this but, if you're Scoot's friend, and everyone else is ok with ya, then I'm okay with you too."

"Agreed" said Jet.

Cap smirked. "So, wouldja say we're _all friends_ then?"

Gray laughed. "I wouldn't go that far, but- sure."

* * *

Jake, Alex's neighbor, was pissed. Not only did he almost get arrested that day, by causing the truck carrying the bear to crash, his attempt to kill his neighbor's puppies failed! _One Day,_ Jake thought, _that stupid dog 'Scoot,' will be nothing but a **horrible** memory._


	16. Chapter 15: Liam and Cap

**II** Chapter 15: Liam and Cap

Thursday, Last day of March

Two days. Just two more days until the hunt training began. Alex was nervous, he was going to train all the puppies on the first day! He needed money, and his grandfather said he would pay him to do it. His father, however, was watching from inside Amos' house, what took place. He saw Cap and Scoot's group of puppies playing with the fox, and being nice to it. _That damn fox is going to ruin Alex's hunting dog!_ He thought. _I gotta destroy that kit!_

Meanwhile, outside his window, the group was playing a rough version of "duck duck goose". In this version, the puppies had to wrestle the "tagger" to the ground.

"So basically," Killer was explaining to Cap, "the tagger runs around and selects the 'goose', who then tries to attack the tagger. If the tagger gets around the circle and takes the spot, then the goose becomes the new 'tagger'. If not, the tagger has to try again."

"Sounds cool!" Cap declared. "When do I get to beat ya?"

Thunder laughed. "I like this fox!"

"Hey Cap," Scoot asked, doesn't your father only want you here on the weekends?"

Cap chuckled. "Nah, he said if your master was here, you know, because he is so nice to me; I'm allowed to play with you guys."

"Works for me!" Annie exclaimed. "Let's start this! I'll be the tagger… or goose."

"Game on," said Cap, pushing the front of his hat down. "Let's do this!"

Alex was watching the seven of them from across the yard. _Looks like they are all playing nice!_ He thought.

 _Note: The humans are unable to discern that the animals are playing Duck Duck Goose._

The order was: Scoot, Annie, Cap, Killer, Thunder, Jet and Gray. They were spread out in a big circle. Annie got up, and started her selection. "Duck, Duck, Duck, Duck, Duck, Duck, Duck, Duck… GOOSE!"

Annie tapped Killer, and off they went! It only took around 6 seconds to complete a circuit, but they were much faster than humans, so it didn't matter. Killer was unable to catch up to Annie, and she took his spot.

"Heh," Killer laughed. "Now it's _my turn! Duck, Duck, Duck, Duck, Duck_ _ **Goose**_ _!"_ Killer ran as fast as he could away from Cap, but the fox was too fast! The beagle only got halfway around the circle before he was tackled to the ground.

"Too fast for ya?" Mocked Cap.

Killer chuckled, "It's cute being successfully hunted by your prey. Guess I gotta go again!"

While Killer started counting again, none of the puppies or the lone fox could see that Alex's father was coming up from behind them. He had one goal in mind. _I'm going to break that fox's neck!_ He thought.

Alex watched his father with suspicion. _What's he doing over there?_ he thought. He got his answer, when Liam grabbed Cap's neck from behind, and lifted him high into the air.

"Cap!" Scoot screamed. "What is he doing to you?!"

Cap tried to form complete words, but he was being choked. "He- choki- _me_ "

"Alright, you little rat!" Shouted Liam. "Time to crush your fragil' throat!"

Liam attempted to squeeze Cap, which caused his hat to fall off his head. The fox felt his life fading from him. That was, until a very surprised Alex startled Liam.

"Dad! WHAT ARE YOU DOING!" The teen exclaimed.

"I'm solving a problem here, Alex!"

Alex looked at his father in shock. "Solving a problem? Solving a problem?! You're gonna kill the damn thing!"

"That's the idea! I don't think you or the other hunters want this rodent messing with their hunting capabili—"

"Wait!" Alex interrupted, "Let me get this straight. You're worried about the fox hurting Scoot's ability to hunt? That's complete BS! You just want to kill it!"

"Alex, this fox could have rabies, and it could bi—"

"It DOESN'T have rabies, and it WON'T get it! It's vaccinated."

Liam threw Cap on the ground, thankfully, before he blacked out from lack of oxygen.

The older Slade was furious. "You VACCINATED a damn wild FOX? What is the matter with you boy!?"

'Uhm, excuse me, Dad. That fox happens to be Scoot's friend! It's why he ran away when I wasn't home. He played with it in the field."

Liam was speechless.

"And by the way, dad," Alex pulled a red hat out of his pocket. He showed it to his father. "His name is Capper."

Cap was recovering from lack of oxygen, but he was still aware of Alex putting the new hat on his head. It even had his alias on it in white letters: "CAPPER".

Alex growled, "Talk to me again when you're sober."

Liam stormed off, he was frustrated that his son stopped him from killing a _game animal_. He was even more mad at the fact that Alex got a _custom-made_ accessory for the pest.

Alex knelt on the ground. Cap nuzzled against him, which caused Alex to smile. But Alex's smile faded. "Looks like I gotta keep an eye on you, Capper."

Alex stood back up, and Cap walked back to his group of friends. They were not motivated to play after what they just saw.

They all looked at Cap. Cap put his head down, and started to cry.

"Did he just try to…" Gray couldn't finish his sentence. He walked over to comfort Cap. "It's okay." He said.

Cap picked his head up and whimpered, "my life almost- ended! It's not okay!".

Scoot tried to think of something positive. "Hey, at least ya _kind of_ have a collar now! You know, a hat with your _name_ on it!

Cap looked his friend in the eyes. "Not. In. The. Mood." He looked back to see if Alex was still nearby, his 'protector'. Sure enough, he was. "I just want to go home," Cap cried.

Scoot thought it was best to let Cap leave, so he escorted Cap into the forest.

 _Will he still come back? Thought Scoot._


	17. Chapter 16: Hunting Failure

Chapter 16: Hunting Failure

Saturday, April 2

Scoot and his friends didn't see Cap at all on Friday. Scoot understood, though, because of what happened Thursday evening.

Cap would return the next day, but he wanted a day to not think about being in danger. Unfortunately for him, Alex was training a group of the hunting dogs today, with the help of Copper. The other hunters would form their own groups.

The training would go like this: for the next two weekends, Alex and the owners would hunt around the forest with the puppies. Copper would lead Alex's group, and would teach them hunting techniques, and properly demonstrate how to catch game. Whoever came back with the most game, would win a prize. This would go on for three more days: the following Sunday, and the next weekend.

Scoot and his friends were ahead of the pack, near Copper. It was almost time to go.

Copper told his son the game plan. "Alright Scoot, listen. We're going to try to stay away from our fox friends as much as possible. So today, we are hunting in the west part of the forest."

"Gotcha dad," replied Scoot. "Cap's been absent for a while anyway."

"I can see why," Copper replied. "I hope he stays safe".

* * *

Alex was having a chat with his group of hunters, whom he knew from school. "Yo Robbie," Alex asked a tanned skin boy, "you notice how close your dog's Killer, Thunder and my dog Scoot have gotten?

" Yeah, I noticed," Rob said. "They have like their own little group too!"

"Yeah, said a blonde haired girl, " your dog and my dogs have gotten really close Alex".

Alex smiled at the girl. This was Kat, a girl he's had a crush on for the past two years. What was funny, was that her female dog Annie, really liked Scoot.

"They're a cute couple, Scoot and Annie." He winked at her.

Kat blushed. "Nice try, boy! That's not gonna work on me!"

" I didn't think it would." Alex blushed. "What are you doing here anyway?"

Kat grumbled, " my mom signed me up for this. Don't ask why. Its mostly for Jet and Annie."

"I'm sorry," Alex apologized.

"Don't be. Maybe it'll be fun. Besides, we're hunting right behind Jake's house!"

"Oh God!" Exclaimed Rob. "I can't wait to hear him bitch about it on Monday!"

The three of them laughed.

"Hey, Joshua's puppy Gray is here, is he coming with?" Asked Rob.

"He told me he'd meet us in the forest!" Said Kat.

"Alright", Alex stated, "Enough chitchats, let's get going!"

* * *

Scoot's group, Shadow, and Copper were ready to go!

"Best of luck to you guys!" Called Chief.

They were just about to go, when Buster called Scoot over. "Yo pipsqueak, come here!"

 _What does he want?_ Scoot thought.

The dark hound glared at him. "If you see little Cap today, you better _warn_ him."

 _Oh jeez, this again_. "Don't you touch him!"

Buster laughed. "I intend to end his life, the day after the full moon."

Scoot attempted to grab onto Buster, but the hound simply flung him off.

"YOU ARE NO MATCH FOR ME!" Buster growled. "You got 2 weeks till your friend is lost to the past. Hopefully you became a _real_ hound after this hunt. Then, _you_ can take the glory in killing him!

Scoot was cross, he looked buster right in the eyes. "I'm not going to kill my friend". He began to walk away. " But if you hurt him... I will kill _you_. I'll find a way. _Mark my words_."

As Scoot was leaving, he could swear that he heard maniacal laughter behind him. _That hound's going to get it one day_ , thought Scoot.

Buster was grinning on the inside. _Tick-tock little fox..._

* * *

Widow Tweed, Amos, and Liam were sitting at a long table. They were preparing the dinner for that night, but decided to take a break. Amos knew that Widow didn't like hunting, but she seemed to be fine with it. Surprisingly, Widow was the one who "started" this event. It actually isn't all about the hunt training, it's more of a community get-together for a week. Different families bring different food, and some of them bring tents and camp on Amos' Property. The hunt is only for a couple days.

"How've ye been Tweed?" asked Amos.

Widow responded, "you know why I don't like these hunts, I just worry about the puppies and your grandson, dear."

"Alex will be fine," Liam stated. "He's a good kid, but he does stupid stuff sometimes. Like yesterday".

Amos was intrigued. "What happened yesterday? "

Liam grumbled. "I tried to kill a young fox on our property, and he went completely apeshit!"

Tweed gasped.

Amos had an idea of what he meant. "Did it wear a cap on it's head?"

"Y- yes father...?" Answered Liam, shocked.

Amos smiled. "That's Scoot's lil' friend. Course he wouldn't let ya kill 'm."

Liam frowned. "You do know that he vaccinated the damn thing? Against rabies!"i

Amos groaned. "I didn't know that... but at least now it won't spread disease! That was expensive though..."

Liam said, " what if it already has it."

Amos laughed. "I noticed something about that fox, son! Its extreml' tame!" He turned to the Widow, who was preparing more pie. "Tweed, did ya ever give yer critter Tod any shots?"

Tweed was confused, "When he was a Kit... Why Amos?"

The eldest Slade chuckled. "That damn cap wearing kit is probably the offspring of your fox!"

Tweed was conflicted. "You mean Tod's son? There are many foxes out in the forest, why do you think it's his? I also took him to the game reserve, to protect him from you."

Amos chuckled again. "Because its tame, hangs around near dogs, and Copper didn't attack it. Which means...

Copper actually cares about that damn pest for some reason!"

Liam got up from his chair. "There will be no damn foxes ruining _my_ son's huntin' dog!" He went inside to find his shotgun.

* * *

Scoot and his group were trailing ahead of Alex and his 'friends', sniffing out for any game.

"I sure hope Cap isn't out here!" Scoot exclaimed.

"Relax", said Shadow. "Cap lives north of our home, and we are west right now! The kit's fine!"

But Scoot had a sinking feeling. "I have a bad feeling about this."

"Chill out!" Said Gray. "Just keep on eye out for any vermin!"

* * *

Buster knew that Cap would be hanging out, dangerously away from home. Cap was trying to hunt mice, to make his dad proud.

Buster found the fox, and gave chase.

Cap ran as fast as he could, in the direction Buster was chasing him: to the west side of the forest.

"Why don't you leave me alone!" Exclaimed the fox.

Buster replied, "I made an error when I was younger, Cap! And that mistake is the reason you are alive! I must correct it!"

 _What is he talking about?_ Cap thought.

Cap kept running, but eventually stopped. In the middle of the danger zone. He didn't realize that Buster tricked him into running in front of the hunt, but he was too late.

Buster was giddy with joy. _That kit is going to get in trouble, his dad is going to try to rescue him, and Alex will shoot him point blank, haha!_

* * *

Alex and his 3 friends were having a hard time catching up to their puppies.

Annie sniffed the ground. "Raccoon! I found a raccoon!"

"Let's get 'em Annie!" Scoot shouted.

The group of six chased the raccoon through the forest, breaking into a hilly clearing. Unfortunately for the puppies, the raccoon got away.

Scoot couldn't believe his eyes: in the clearing, his fox friend stood, frozen in terror from a beagle puppy growling at him.

"What are you doing here?!" Scoot cried. "Go home Cap, you're going to get shot!" Scoot ran to his friend, who had a look of regret on his face.

Cap was frozen. "He- tricked- me." The fox stammered.

"Who tricked you, Cap?"

"Buster ran me into the path of the hunt."

 _That damn dirty no good hound_ , thought Scoot.

"I can't run back!" Cap cried. "The hunters are surrounding this whole field! And this jerk right here pounced on me!"

Scoot glanced at the beagle and growled.

The beagle was surprised by their exchange. "Uhh, I got him first... he's for my master!"

Scoot got between his friend and the Beagle. He growled. "He's nobody's! Now scram!"

The beagle leapt up and ran away.

Scoot's group finally caught up to him.

"Why is he here?" Asked Gray.

"That Buster jerk chased him in here," grunted Scoot. "We gotta escort him out!"

Thunder giggled. "Operation fox rescue is a go!"

"Lame name!" Chimed Shadow."How about mission foxtrot forest".

Cap smacked his paw against his forehead. "They are both equally dumb names. Can we just go, _Team_? Before your people show up?"

Scoot nodded. "Let's go!"

They got halfway through the clearing, until they heard the distant sounds of young dogs barking. Coming toward them.

Gray turned to Cap. "Look, my friend, in the next couple seconds, you should probably-"

The barking grew closer.

"RUN!" Screamed Gray. The group could see a pack of hounds and puppies heading straight for them. Cap bolted! Running as fast as his little legs could carry him. He knew this meant life or death. He, unfortunately, lost his hat as he sprinted away from Scoot.

"What the hay is going on!" Shouted one of the hunters. "Those dogs are nuts!"

Scoot's group just stared, as multiple puppies, hounds, and their masters ran past them. _Cap is going to get killed!_ Scoot thought.

* * *

Alex and his group approached the clearing, finally finding their puppies. "There you are!" Alex exclaimed. He noticed the group of puppies were somber. "What's the matter boy?" He asked Scoot.

Scoot whined, and nudged the small red hat on the ground, with his friends alias on it.

"Oh no." Said Alex. "Well find him boy, I promise!"

"What's going on?" asked Rob.

"Scoot's little friend is missing," whimpered Alex.

"What friend?" Asked Josh, Gray's owner.

"He's got a little fox friend that wears this Cap."

"That's really weird Alex." Muttered Kat. "Hounds hunt foxes though."

"Actually," Alex said, "I saw them all playing together yesterday. Before my dad tried to choke the fox to death. We gotta find the little critter."

Rob groaned. "I can't Believe we're trying to find a fox, and we aren't killing it!"

"I know it sounds crazy," Alex replied, "but it's what I wanna do. Come on!"

The other three teens reluctantly followed Alex, in his pursuit for Cap. _Wait a second_ , thought Alex, _where's Copper_?

* * *

Copper was trying his best to run ahead of all the hound dogs, and puppies. He could see the panicked fox, running in front of him. He wanted to call out to him, but he didn't want the fox to waste his breath talking. This was survival, which meant conserving enough energy to run to safety. The chase led them through the forest, across a bridge over the river, and more forest.

Cap kept running, he wasn't out of breath just yet. He was the fastest creature in the forest, by a landslide. All those games of tag with Scoot and Shadow were finally put to the test! He just kept running. Eventually, he came upon a large rock wall, and had to turn. He thought if he could run all the way back, he could safely lose the hounds near Scoot's home, and run back to his home. He eventually did another turn, running back in the same direction he came. He tried to remember Scoots hunting techniques. _You gotta lose the scent._

He came across the river. Perfect! He thought. He jumped in, and swam to the other side. The chase was right behind him, on the other side of the river. It was only a couple feet deep, but it was the width of half a football field. Copper, still hot on Cap's tail, was pleased that the fox was still alive. _Only a couple hundred yards to go, Cap!_

The hounds finally lost track of Cap. He ran into the clearing, catching sight of Alex. He ran as fast as he could, toward him. But, another hound, the beagle from earlier, stopped him in his path. It pounced on Cap.

"Game over, little foxy!" The beagle mocked. "You game always think you can get away, huh?" The beagle howled, calling its master.

Copper stared in horror, as the beagle's hunter came up to Cap, and primed his shotgun. All of a sudden, a streak of red dashed across the hunters vision, before he could shoot Cap. The hunter missed. Tod ran towards Copper, carrying Cap in his mouth.

"Tod... Duck!" Shouted Copper, as the hunter took aim at Tod, fired, but missed due to Copper's early warning.

"I'm gonna git' both of those vermin!" Shouted the hunter.

Now, Alex, his friends, and the group of puppies were near the hunter. _What vermin_? Alex thought.

Tod, Cap, and Copper hid behind a tree.

Cap had tears in his eyes. "Buster tricked me into running here dad, I'm sorry."

Tod nuzzled his son. "It's OK, Copper. I know you aren't that reckless."

Copper, the hound, was worried. "They're gonna come straight here guys. What are you going to do."

Tod's eyes watered. Cap knew what he was going to try to do. Tod closed his eyes. "I gotta throw them off your trail, son."

Cap started crying. "No! You can't do it, dad! Don't sacrifice yourself for me! Please! Don't do it daddy!"

Tod whimpered, "Cap, it's okay! You got good friends that will take care of you!" He looked right at Copper.

Now Copper was cutting onions. He knew what had to be done. "Good luck, old friend."

And like that, Tod sprinted out from behind the hiding spot, putting a target on himself. Fortunately for him, the hunter and his beagle left. _Unfortunately_ for him, Alex was nearby, with Scoot and his friends.

"Tod?!" Screamed Scoot. Alex started taking shots at Tod, missing because the fox was moving too quickly.

Scoot had an idea. "Everyone! Pin that fox down! Then stand in front of him! Make it look like we're attacking him, but don't let them get a shot in!" His group tackled Tod, who lost the desire to live, which made it easier. So now, they could pretend to have caught him.

Copper thought for a moment. _Your life has been hell up to this point, Tod!_ _I've said it before: I don't want to see you get killed! And damn it, I'm not letting that happen!_

Copper stormed out into the clearing, with Cap right behind him. Just as Alex was about to unload his shotgun into the red fox, Cap jumped on top of him.

Alex was surprised by the sudden 'attack'.

"Is that the fox you were talking about?" Asked Kat.

"I think so! Is that you Cap?" Alex asked the startled fox. Cap buried his head under Alex's arm. "I think that's him."

"Uhh, we got a problem here, Alex!" Joshua stated. "I can't shoot this fox, because Copper's in the way."

Rob grabbed Copper, and dragged him out of the way.

Copper was so surprised by being moved out of the way, that he didn't have time to protect Tod from the line of fire.

The red fox glared at Alex, who was raising his shotgun. "You're beautiful." Said Alex. "I'm sorry".

But the young kit jumping from his arms stopped him from pulling the trigger. Cap ran to his dad, and rubbed his head against his fur.

"Woah!" exclaimed Kat. "The little guy has family here, it seems".

 _Is this Cap's father_? Thought Alex. He looked at Copper. _Copper tried to protect him. That means that... NO! It can't be! Copper protected a fox, from grandpa before._

Alex lowered his shotgun. He called to the fox. He knew who he was dealing with. " T- Tod?"

The red fox sat up, and confusedly stared at Alex.

"No way! You- you responded!" Alex Stammered. "You're Capper's father?" He glanced over to Copper. "Or should I say, Copper's father?"

"What are you talking about?" Interrogated Kat.

Alex looked her in the eyes. "This sounds crazy, but Copper saved that fox from my grandfather a year or so ago. As it turns out". Alex laughed. " There's a history in my family of foxes befriending hounds."

The other two were confused. Alex noticed. "I'll explain when we get back home, but we gotta get these two fellas outta here!"

Alex walked toward Tod with arms open. "Come on Tod, I'm gonna take you to safety."

Copper said to Tod, "He'll take you away from here, Tod. Just jump in his arms!"

Tod was frozen. "He- just tried to kill me!"

"Until he knew we were related!" Cap pointed out. "Trust me, dad. He'll help us.

Reluctantly, Tod let Alex pick him up.

" I got ya buddy" Alex said. He patted the fox. "Sorry bout trying to kill ya earlier! I hope this makes up for it."

Alex looked down toward Cap, who rolled to pick his hat off the ground. "You just stay with your group of puppy friends! We gotta hurry though! The other hunters will be back!"

Alex's friends still thought he was a little crazy to be helping out a fox family, but they gave him the benefit of the doubt. He would give them answers soon.

Alex's group didn't get any game today, but he was overexcited to explain what happened in the forest that day, to his grandfather.

All the pieces of the puzzle come together, Alex thought.

Copper glanced to Tod, who was being carried in Alex's arms. "Still don't trust him?"

His friend grinned. "Nope."

A/N Chapter release will be slow for the last remaining chapters of this part. I wrote this a month ago, real life has gotten in the way of proofreading and drafting. Part 2 will be finished before August, but part three and the finale will take a couple months. Your feedback is always welcome. Thank you.


	18. Chapter 17: Piecing it all Together

**II** Chapter 17: Piecing it all Together

Saturday Night

Before Alex went to talk to his grandfather, he dropped off the two foxes behind his yard. He could have sworn that they each nodded their head before they departed. _These animals are really weird._

His friends lived closeby, so they left their puppies in the yard, and went home. Alex waited until his father was asleep, as he knew he didn't like the kit. He found Amos on his porch.

"What da ya want, Sonny?" Amos inquired.

Alex took a deep breath. "I gotta talk to you... about our dogs." He sat down beside him.

"What do ya mean, Alex?"

"Well, you know how my puppy plays with that little fox 'Cap'?"

Amos grumbled. "Ya, I know bout it. Why should ah' care?"

Alex sighed. "That kit is Tod's kid."

"What?!"

"When we were hunting today, Cap was found on the hill behind Jake's house. A fox was going crazy, and our group of puppies took him down. _But they didn't let me kill it."_

Amos was intrigued. "Go on".

"Copper tried to stop me from shooting it, so Robbie moved him out of the way. That's when Cap jumped out of my arms and nuzzled against his dad. I thought it was crazy, then I realized why Copper tried to stop me from shooting it. So, I called out to the fox. 'Tod,' I said. The fox responded by staring at me." Alex paused, and looked his grandfather right in the eyes. "Copper and Tod's children are friends, just like they were."

"Nonsense!" Amos laughed. "Foxes and hounds aren't friends—"

"Cap and Scoot's friendship proves you wrong, grandpa. I'm also inclined to believe that fox's name is Copper. It seems crazy, I know, but that kit got really giddy when I called him 'Capper'. Maybe Tod named him after Copper?"

Amos pondered. "So, what you're sayin' is this problem of ours has been goin' on for a while, eh?"

Alex was taken aback. "Uhh- I don't think it's a problem grandpa. It's just odd. Copper and Scoot are kind to those foxes. Ain't nothin' much we can do about it. These animals are smart in their own special way. If the kit thought he was in danger, he wouldn't be hanging out with the hounds. Heck, even my friend's puppies got along with em!"

"Alex," Amos sighed, "I'm gonna give ya the whole story. _Yes, Tod was the one who caused Chief to break his leg. The damn fox was running on the railroad bridge, and a train neared. The fox ducked under the train. Chief however, did not, and he fell down to the shallow riverbed. Luckily, he was still alive. Copper growled at that fox. It was obvious he wanted him dead. This is where I am unable to believe the 'friendship' you believe Copper and Tod have together._

 _Anyways, Widow took her fox to the game reserve, and I planned with Copper how to get that fox. A week later, we snuck into the game reserve, and started pursuing that critter. Turns out, it had found a mate! I was out for revenge, so killing her too would have given justice!"_

Amos paused. " _But then, a bear attacked me and Copper. I fell into my own trap. The bear went to end Copper, but it was attacked by that fox. I don't understand why it would do such a thing. Copper was out to kill it. I got out of my trap, and limped to the bottom of the lake, where the fox, broken and defeated, was crawling toward the shore. What I found odd, was that Copper stared at the poor thing, and didn't attack it. That was, until I raised my shotgun to the fox's head. It cowered before me, and stared in horror, as I was about to end it's life. You know what happened after._ "

"You're- kind of a bad person, Grandpa. Trying to kill the poor thing". Alex stated.

"It was a stupid idea of mine, Alex. But like I said, Copper didn't let me kill it. And now, here we are. I don't hate Tod as much as I did before, Sonny. That fox taught me how revenge isn't the best medicine to a problem. I feel like I owe that damn thing. However, I in no way, like that fact."

Alex thought for a moment. He now knew the full story of what happened, or at least, what Amos knew. He had a sneaking suspicion on the real reason why Copper didn't let his grandfather kill Tod. "Grandpa, hear me out, I want to tell you my theory as to why Copper didn't let you kill the fox."

Amos groaned. "If it's about tha 'frien'ship' thing, ah' don't wanna hear it!"

"But grandpa," Alex pleaded, "I have a good reason to believe it. Just hear me out, ok?"

His grandfather looked at the clock. _I guess it wouldn't hurt to waste more time, now would it?_ "Fine Alex, what's yer story?"

Alex began. "My puppy and Cap are friends, and they are still young. I don't think they would get along well if they were older. It's kinda like how dogs and cats will be friendly to each other, if they were raised together young. So, I'm wondering, do you think that Copper and Tod played together when they were little?"

"No, ah don't Alex!"

"Well, here's something for ya, grandpa: I spoke to the widow the other day, and asked her about her fox, and where she kept it. She said Tod would get out sometimes, and wander to the pond. What do you think about this, grandpa? Did Copper ever wander by the lake when he was a puppy?"

Amos grumbled. "Yes."

"So, what do you think he was doing, grandpa? Because I'll tell you what I think he was doing: he was playin' with Tod!

Amos thought for a minute. "Well, there was this here one tahm ah' leashed Copper to his doghouse. That same day, that fox was on my property, bothering Chief."

Alex smiled. "Do you know why, that fox was on your property?"

"Of course, Alex! He was trying ta kill mah chickens!"

Alex shook his head. "Nope! It's because he wanted to play with Copper!"

Amos had a headache. "This dumb rhetoric is hurting my head, Alex! Finish your piece, so I can go to bed."

 _Just one more scenario, to prove my theory_! Alex thought. "Hey grandpa, you remember that bear that attacked a couple days ago?"

Amos nodded.

Alex continued. "I saw that fox wrestle the bear with Copper, and I was able to put it to sleep! I almost shot the fox though. But I wonder, why would Tod try to take down a bear, that was on our property."

"Oh, I don't know Alex! Why _would_ Tod attack the bear?" Amos sarcastically remarked.

Alex sighed. "It isn't that hard to believe grandpa, but Cap cares about Scoot, and Tod didn't want to see Copper, his friend, or his son, Scoot, to get hurt. Maybe one day you'll understand why I think this is the case."

Alex got up from his seat, and paced back and forth. "You know, this whole fox and hound thing is so interesting. I wonder how they feel about breaking the rules of nature."

"You need to take a nap or something, Sonny," Amos groggily replied. "Get this out of your head".

"I'm not going to get it out of my head!" Alex retorted. "This is happening, whether you like it or not. I wanna see how they interact. What goes through the minds of these animals that we don't know about?" Alex ran down Amos' porch, and headed home.

 _That kid is crazy,_ Amos thought.

A/N: Two chapters added today, as this one is kinda short.


	19. Chapter 18: Frolicking in the Forest

**II** Chapter 18: Frolicking around the Forest

 **Monday, April 4**

Monday Morning. It meant Alex was back in school, and the dogs were home alone, including Copper, who was sleeping. Scoot and his friends decided to sneak into the forest to meet up with their orange furred friend. He wanted to show them something.

"Hurry up guys!" shouted Scoot, who was running toward the woods. "We gotta hurry before Buster gets back!"

The rest of the puppies were behind, with Shadow last. "I can't run as fast as you, bro!" she Said.

Scoot laughed. "It'll be worse when ya have to catch up to Copper!"

Shadow groaned. She wasn't as fit as her brother was, and she _definitely_ wasn't fast enough to catch up to the fastest critter, of whom she knew. However, she endured the trip, as she arrived, exhausted, to their meeting place, which was deep in the forest. Cap was waiting for them.

Cap mocked, "geez, you guys took forever! I almost fell asleep waitin' for ya'll to finally show up!" He laughed.

Grey was displeased. "Enough of the mockery, Cap. Where we going today?"

Cap smirked. "We're going to a place that's forbidden to you hounds! Deep in the forest. Beautiful place though, you'll like it!" He turned to Scoot. "You'll recognize it when we get there, though you've never seen it. Come on!" Cap started running towards his destination. The puppies reluctantly followed. Shadow was annoyed.

Scoot was puzzled. _What does he mean?_

The puppies didn't have too much trouble keeping up, but Shadow still was. "Hey Cap!" Shadow screamed. "Can you slow down a bit? I can't keep up!"

Cap stopped dead in his tracks, causing the other seven to also stop. Cap growled. "Fine! But only because you're my best friend's sister! But I'm only slowing down a _little_ bit." He continued running, but at a little slower of a pace. The puppies followed.

They ran through the forest for around five minutes. Scoot was getting worried. "Uhh, Cap, we're kinda far now. Are we almost there?"

They came up to a fence. Cap smirked. "We're here alright!" He ducked through a gap in the fence. "I wonder who made that hole!" the puppies followed, for what seemed like another five minutes. The fox and hounds came up to a lake. The fox sat down, and stared at the nearby waterfall. "Welcome home," he said.

* * *

Liam Slade was rustling through his hunting storage. He retrieved a revolver, and a couple boxes of ammo, of which he stored in his satchel. He had a mission today, while his son was at school. He had to hurry though, as Alex only had one class today. He walked outside, and locked his house up. He whistled. "Buster! We got a rodent to catch!" The dark hound appeared from behind, waiting for his master's next command. "We got a no good fox to catch today". He loaded his revolver, as they both ran towards the woods.

* * *

The puppies and Cap were laying on the bed of the lake.

"This is your home?" asked Annie.

Cap sighed. "For the first couple weeks of my life. But there was no food here, so we had to move. You see, this is a game preserve: no hunting is allowed here. The only reason we could get in here, through that gap, was because Copper and Scoot's master's grandfather came through here."

"B- But" Killer stammered. "Why would they break the law to come in here?

Cap smiled. "To kill my parents."

Suddenly, Scoot knew where they were, "This is where my dad saved yours, isn't it?" Cap nodded. "Right on this pond. It's a nice place though, isn't it?"

Shadow lit up. "Yeah! It's beautiful! I guess it was worth it to chase you all the way here!"

The fox grinned. "Wasn't really a chase! You couldn't keep up!"

Shadow frowned, but before she could respond, Scoot talked. "Yo, Cap. This is nice and all, but we gotta be back before Buster notices! Thanks for showing us though!"

Cap got up and stretched. "Yeah, I'll show you guys how to get home. Also, my dad probably wouldn't be happy knowing I showed you this."

* * *

The group of eight were now on the other side of the fence: the normal northern forest. The puppies knew the direction home now, so Cap decided to trail behind. When they were halfway home, Cap tripped on a rock, and lost the group. _They know how to get home now,_ he thought. Something didn't feel right though. Cap decided to take a couple steps west of his position. He heard the rustling of leaves, and footsteps. _Footsteps._

Cap huddled against the tree next to him. _This can't be good._

Before he had time to react, he heard the snarling of a hound, and the cocking of a weapon. _No!_

 _"_ I know you're around here, you little pest! My hound smells you!" said a masculine voice.

Cap heard the footsteps directly behind him. _Oh, screw it! There's no better chance to escape!_

He darted forward, as a gunshot rang out. "I'll get you little fox! I'm not going to let you ruin my son's huntin' dog!"

Cap ran as fast as he could, luckily dodging the next couple bullets whizzing his way. He came upon a tree, and quickly ran up it. "I'll wait for you to come down, rodent!" the voice said.

Cap peaked down, just enough so that his assailant couldn't see him. However, their hound dog could. It laughed at him. "You'll eventually have to come down here, _Copper_! And when you do, it's lights out for you, and Tod! Ahahaha!" It was Buster.

Cap thought of a strategy. _Those idiots don't know that I can just run across the treeline!_ As silent as he could he hopped from tree to tree, every so often checking below him, to make sure he wasn't being tracked. After making it across a dozen or so trees, Cap quickly climbed down. When he arrived at the bottom, he peeked around the corner. _Phew! Looks like they didn't follow me!_ He rested against the tree. Laughter was heard, along with a deep voice. "Did you really think you could get away that easily? I thought Copper said you were **smart!** "

Cap's predator pounced on him. He tried to wriggle free, but it was no use! He heard the click of a gun. "Heheh, good boy Buster!" The barrel of the revolver was shoved against Cap's head, who continued to struggle. Liam crawled closer to Cap, a mere foot from his face. "My son would be so pissed if he found out what I'm about to do to you! Good thing he came home to sleep!" Liam reached into his pocket, and pulled out a pocket knife.

Buster smiled. "Is he gonna skewer you? Who knows, haha, Liam is pretty random with his torture methods".

Liam shouted, "Buster, off!" The hound was confused, but got off of Cap, who was too frightened to move.

The hunter flicked the blade open, and jammed it straight into Cap's front right paw. Blood spurted out like a fountain. Cap screamed, which annoyed the hunter, so he slapped Cap across the face. "I guess you won't be able to run away now, huh?" Liam mocked a sad face. "I think Scoot's going to miss his wittle foxy fwend."

Liam retracted the blade, which cause Cap to scream again. This time, Liam grabbed him by the neck. "Oh, I can't kill you! Not just yet!"

The hunter walked toward the pond. "This is where you and Scoot played, huh? I'd recommend you'd hold your breath, but you dumb animals don't understand english."

Liam Slade dropped Cap on the ground, and took out a pair of gloves. "Maybe if I didn't drink so much, I'd have given you a quick death by now, but this is more fun." He grabbed Cap by the neck again, and held his head above the water. Cap tried to bite his hand.

The hunter laughed. "Supposedly my dumb ass son vaccinated you, but I ain't taking any chances, so try to bite me." He jerked Cap's head forward, and held it underwater. "It will be the last mistake you make in your life!"

Cap's mind was racing. He was losing oxygen, and his front paw was burning. There was simply nothing he could do. He prayed that either Scoot found him, or that the hunter would show some kindness and end his misery. To his surprise, Liam jerked his head out of the water!

Liam noticed the fox was trying to catch it's breath. "That was only round one!" He pushed Cap's head under the water, for a second time. Through the distortion of the water, Cap could hear Buster laughing. Cap's head was lifted above the water again. Liam turned Cap around to face him. Liam moved his free hand toward Cap's head, and Cap closed his eyes, expecting another lashing. Instead, a weight was removed from his head.

The hunter chuckled. "Capper, huh? My son actually thinks you wild rodent has a name! Isn't that cute!" Liam placed the soaking wet hat back on Cap's head. "I think you've been through enough, don't you think? This time, I'm not removing your head from the water until I feel the life _drain_ from your body!"

But before Liam did so, Copper came crashing through the bushes, curious what the commotion was all about. Then he saw Cap, nearly finished off by Buster and Liam. Angrily, he walked toward Liam. But Liam smiled. "You wanna finish this little guy off, Copper?" The hunter questioned. "Let's see you tear him limb from limb!" Liam dropped Cap on the ground. Buster was displeased. "You better kill him, pal. He's only going to suffer if you don't." Copper nodded, which horrified Cap. Copper didn't speak one word, he just silently moved toward the injured fox.

Liam and Buster watched from the sidelines. As Copper hovered over Cap, the fox closed his eyes. "Copper, please... Make- it- quick" Cap whimpered.

Still, silent, Copper opened his jaws, and latched onto the back of Cap's neck. Buster chuckled at the sight. Copper had other plans though. As quick as he could, Copper picked up Cap by the scruff of his neck, and took off toward his home.

"I don't believe it!" Shouted Liam, behind Copper. Buster loudly growled.

Copper ran toward Alex's home. He dropped Cap off on the ground, who yelped in pain. Copper barked and howled. Eventually, Alex opened his door, and Copper ran away toward's Scoot.

"What has gotten into you Copper?" Alex questioned. "Silly dog, randomly wakes peopl-" and then he saw Cap on the floor. "What happened to you, little Copper?" He grabbed Cap off the ground, and cradled him in his arms. "I think I might be able to fix you up!"

* * *

Buster was furious. His and Liam's attempt to kill Cap had _failed_. He was so close too! But a calming thought crossed his mind. _Tod will look for his son today, and when he does, I will make sure he dies!_


	20. Chapter 19: All a Misunderstanding

**II** Chapter 19: All a Misunderstanding

Alex took Cap upstairs, to his room. He was careful to make sure his father wasn't home. Once he entered his room, he locked the door. He then lay the injured fox on his rug.

"Oh Man... what happened to you, Copper? Your front paw is all torn up! What the..."

When he saw the knife slit, he was enraged. "This explains everything!" He angrily shouted, as he wrapped some cloth atound the wound. The fox winced at the pain, but understood that Alex was trying to make it better. When he was finished wrapping the cloth up, he grabbed Cap off the ground, and held him in his arms, while rubbing his back.

"My dad did this to you, didn't he?" Alex sadly asked. "He almost killed you I bet." He looked out the window. "You were probably just mindin' your own business, and there he was!"

Cap whined, he wanted to be let go of.

"I'll take you back outside, we just gotta make sure it's safe!"

Alex opened the door to his bedroom, and snuck down the stairs, with Cap in his grip. Slowly but surely, he made it to his back door, where he could see his dad, still outside. He could also see Buster. The little fox still squirmed in his arm.

Alex brought the foxes face to his eye level. "Look kid, I can't let you out right here! That stupid dog will get you! So I'm going to let you go by the Widow's fence." Alex did his best to sneak around the back of their yards, along the shadows, where no one could see them.

* * *

Tod was sprinting through the woods, frantically looking for clues as to where his son could be. Running past the pond, he could spot the group of seven puppies. He walked into their conversation.

"And that's why we don't go near Shady Grove Cemetery!" Exclaimed Shadow.

"We got company! It's a fox!" Shouted Killer. "What do you want, rodent?"

Tod bore his fangs.

"Killer! It's Caps dad!" Scoot explained.

Killer lost his rude demeanor. "Uhh, sorry sir. You know how us hounds can be...".

Tod just shook his head. Pardon kids," he Sighed, "have you guys seen my Copper anywhere? I know you guys went somewhere today, but he's not with you."

"No, Tod," Scoot said, he left us in the middle of the forest. We ran the rest of the way back!"

Tod groaned. How would he find his son now? He scanned the farm, and saw Alex walking around with something. No, someone! It was Cap!

Tod still didn't trust Alex fully, but he knew his son was safe with him. Then, everything went South.

* * *

Buster barked madly at Alex, while running after him. In his surprise, he dropped the fox on the ground, causing the young animal to yelp. Buster now had his target.

"NO!" Shouted Tod, which caused Buster to glance over, drooling, with hate in his eyes. The hound continued to run after Cap, who could barely hobble away. Buster lunged for his prey, but found his body thrown rightward. Buster collapsed on the ground, closely watching his attacker. "You won't win this, Tod!" He howled, signaling Liam to come over. Buster forced himself back to his feet, and ran for Cap. Instead, he ran into Scoot.

"Even more betrayal, I see!" Buster teased. "Now, move out of the way!"

Scoot gritted his teeth. "Screw you!"

Buster, ready to pounce on Scoot insisted, "then I'll kill both of you!"

Tod leapt on top of Buster again, this time pinning him to the ground. "You aren't hurtin anyone!"

As much as Buster tried, he was unable to get out of Tod's grip! "How is this possible?"

"Cause you're a weakling of a hound!" Tod growled. "Thinking you can boss other around because of your big and scary ego. In reality, you're pathetically weak."

Copper was watching from a distance, completely floored that Tod was holding down Buster. He knew he had to take action though, when Liam started heading for the scuffle.

Buster laughed. "You're going to get shot, Tod. And when you do, that Kit will be mine!"

Tod tightened his hold. "You won't touch Copper!"

The sound of footsteps made him freeze.

"Well, what do we have here? A fox holding down a hound?" It was Liam. Alex was looking for Cap, but found him in Scoot's safety.

Liam took a step closer toward Tod and Buster. He took out his revolver. "I'm gonna need you to get off my dog, or you're gonna have a high price to pay."

He aimed the gun at Tod's forehead. "1, 2..."

When he got to two, Copper charged in front of Liam, blocking him.

"Move out of the way, ol Mutt!" Copper didn't move.

Alex was watching from the side. Copper was protecting Tod again. His heart sank, when he heard his grandfather's back door open behind him. He watched, as Amos carried his shotgun in hand, thinking the retired Hunter would end the Fox's life.

Liam grabbed Copper out of the way. "Don't you EVER get in the way of game, ya hear me?" He slapped Copper across the face, causing him to whine. What surprised him, however, was that this caused the fox to growl as well. "Why would you care about your predator? Stupid fox."

What surprised them all, was when they heard the clicking of a shotgun.

Tod tilted his head, and in horror, realized that Amos had his gun pointed right at his skull. The older Slade laughed maniacally. His son was confused on why he wanted to kill the fox.

Amos smiled at the fox. "Been a while, ol' frien!"

He walked toward Tod, and dragged him off Buster, who was exhausted. He wrapped his arm around the fox. Amos still had his shotgun aimed at Tod. "You've had a nice life out there it seems, away in nature, free from harm". He pet Tod's head, the fox was too shocked to care. "You've even created more problems for me to deal with." He pointed at Cap, who was being held by Alex. "And yet, we meet again, almost like destiny."

Amos patted Tod's fur. "You're still game to me, and you would make a nice coat, as would your kid. But I would make someone I care about angry, if I were to kill you. Do I really have to take you out, Tod?" He leaned in toward Tod, so that they were eye level. "I hate you, so much, you pest! I am so close to letting go of this trigger!" His outburst shook Tod.

All eyes were on the two of them. Amos calmed down, and lowered his shotgun, confusing the fox and Liam. "However, I believe I owe you one, for my greedy attempt at killing you last year."

Amos walked over, and grabbed Cap from Alex. He threw him in front of Tod.

Tod stared at Amos in confusion. Amos noticed and screamed at the fox. "LEAVE! And NEVER come back!"

With that warning, Tod grabbed Cap and took off toward the forest, Amos firing his shotgun as a warning.

Liam was in shock: he just saw his father talk to a fox and let it escape. "What the hell is going on with you, you just let a perfectly fine coat get away!"

Amos glared at Liam. He was mad at him, for harming Copper. No one messed with his hounds. He grabbed his son by the collar of his shirt. "First of all, you don't dare touch Copper!" He let Liam go, catching his breath. "And that fox is none of your damn business! Next time, I'll shoot it, but I owe the damn thing a break!"

Alex walked over, also enraged at Liam. He scowled at him. "Why did you stab Cap?"

Amos was interested. "What now, Sonny?"

Alex gritted his teeth. "He stabbed that little kit in the paw".

Liam, unsure of what the deal was rolled his eyes. "It's game, who cares."

This made Alex even more angry. He grabbed his father's arm and squeezed. "It's game, so be respectful and kill it fast! How would you like to be stabbed in the arm before your predator killed you. It's torture!" Alex paused. Amos knew this signaled a long outburst.

"That fox did nothing to harm you! You just wanna be a huge asshole because my puppy likes playing with it! You want to take your rage out on nature, because you think killing animals will somehow avenge mom!"

Liam tensed. Alex rarely talked about his mother. He was seriously pissed off. The boy continued, with tears streaming down his face. "Well guess what, dad. Mom had a horrible death. We all know that. We didn't know there would be bears so close to the damn trail! Accidents happen, and they can be fatal."

Alex paused to catch his breath, but he was no where near finished.

",,But you know what? I don't approve of you getting drunk and trying to kill an innocent creature, who is a baby by the way, just to solve a problem that never existed! A creature that I am quite fond of, due to it's tameness and it's relations with my dog. It's not going to screw up Scoot's hunting abilities, look at Copper! And that's a story for another day, since you have no idea what I'm talking about. Didn't you notice Copper didn't attack the fox? He didn't attack Cap, or his father, Tod? He's the best damn hunting dog around here, and he STILL didn't attack the foxes. Get a frickin clue!"

Both the older Slade's we're shocked. But Alex didn't stop. He chuckled, angrily. " And you know what? The damn fox's name is Copper! It responds whenever you say it's name! Like when I was bandaging the knife wound you had to create! That stupid fox that grandpa nearly killed actually named the kit after Copper. But their fox's, you may say? Well, they act like fuggin dogs, and respond to their names. They have more decency than you, despite being game animals. But they aren't the real animal." He glared at his father. He let go of his wrist.

Liam was frozen in fear, still a little drunk.

"I'm going inside. I can't look at your face," Alex said. "Talk to me when you sober up."

Alex left, and Liam turned to his father, who simply shook his head. It was going to be a long week.

* * *

That night, Cap was in his families burrow, bawling his eyes out. His sister and mother tried to comfort him, while his father blankly stared out at the landscape ahead of him, pondering what he should do. He knew his son wouldn't take lightly to him being separated from his "best friend", but that was the reality of the situation. Tod knew that from his experience with Copper. One thing was for certain though: Cap and Scoot's friendship was much stronger than their parent's. They already knew each other for a far longer time period.

Nothing his family could do would stop Cap from crying though. "Come on bro, ya gotta be stronger than that," Lily chided.

Cap retorted, " I literally just lost my best friend. Don't tell me to be stronger!"

"Son," his mother replied, " You know eventually you couldn't always be friends with a hound! You should be grateful that you had the opportunity to spend time with him! Remember who he is now, not what he will become." Vixie nuzzled her son.

"I know it's true!" Cap cried, " but I guess I'm not strong enough to face that reality!" He sobbed into his mother's fur.

Back outside, Tod got a visit from an old friend.

"Hey Big Mama."

"Oh, hello Tod. What seems to be bothering you?"

Tod tilted his head toward the Owl, but she understood immediately, before he even spoke.

"It's family issues, isn't it honey?"

"I... Guess so. My son is exiled from seeing his friend."

Big Mama thought for a moment. "It's that white and brown spotted puppy, isn't it?"

Tod nodded.

"You know Tod, it's not that different from you and Copper. The hunter catches the fox and BAM! Elimination-"

"Lack of education" Tod finished. "But the puppies hunter doesn't want to hurt my son. I saw them trying to save my son from one of their vicious hounds."

"Well, that certainly is a bit different honey. I'd say, if you feel safe, maybe try to rearrange with that puppies parent to see if they can say goodbye, properly."

Tod sighed. "I'm not worried about the kid's parent. It's Copper anyway."

"You mean that puppies father is your so called friend from yesteryear? The one who invaded your home to try and end your's and Vixie's life?"

Tod sadly nodded. "Coppers not like he once was. He's a lot more accepting of us now. I have no worries about the dog. I guess you could say, he's been a pretty good "friend" for keeping little Copper out of trouble."

Big Mama smiled. "Well maybe you should arrange a final meeting with your kids. You never got to say goodbye to your friend before he changed. Give your son the opportunity to. Do what you think is right."

Big Mama flew off, upon ending her statement. It was dark out, but Tod had a mission to carry out. He made sure his family was fast asleep, then he started heading south.

* * *

All lights on the Slade property were off, the only light coming from the street. Tod moved towards Copper's doghouse. The hound was awake. "I know you're there, Tod. Don't make the same mistake you did in our younger years." Copper whispered, as not to wake up Chief and Daisy, who were in the doghouses next to him.

Tod's eyes met his. "This is about our children Copper. Is... Scoot... Doing okay?"

The hound frowned. "He's still upset, Tod. He lost his friend. But what could we possibly do?"

Chief was actually awake, listening to the conversation.

Tod breathed deeply. "Why don't we have a final Meetup?'

Copper was confused. "Uhh, what?"

Tod sighed. "Let our kids say goodbye. One last time. Somewhere safe."

Chief crawled slowly out of his doghouse, unbeknownst to the fox and hound.

Copper realized that this might be a good plan. It might be easier to wean Scoot and Cap away from each other, with one last day to see each other. "We could do that Tod. One day. When Buster's away."

"Ya gotta worry about me, then."

Tod snapped his head to the side, and there was Chief, ready to pounce on the fox.

"I don't want to fight you," whimpered Tod.

"Maybe I don't want to fight!" Chief sneered. "It was funny watching Slade let you get away, with your other filth."

Tod growled. "My son is not "filth", Chief. He's just a normal kid, who's sense of adventure can get him into trouble. I thought you were cool with him, but it turns out you're still a jerk, huh?".

Chief inched closer to Tod. "He's a fox, and so are you! You are filth!"

Copper growled. "Enough! You two are grown adults! Act like it! Despite your differences, you still act like children. Tod, stop provoking Chief. And Chief, show Tod some damn respect! After all, he saved you from becoming bear food last week."

Both Chief and Tod groaned.

Chief got angry. "Copper, we signal our hunters to kill them! He's lucky he's still not hanging on a wall! You think Tod actually cares about Scoot? Or is he just ehhmm... Covering himself so you don't attack him".

Copper looked at his fox friend, who was tearing up. Copper had to defend him. "No, Chief. It was MY idea to watch Cap and Scoot. Tod actually didn't want anything to do with us."

Copper walked to Tod, and put his front leg around his shoulder. This made the fox feel better.

Copper continued, "He's got a family to take care of. He's no longer the dumb kit which nearly got himself killed when he was younger. Tod's damn brave to ask for this favor. So don't you dare belittle him! You have no idea what the poor guy has been through. I myself am lucky that I never lost a child!"

Chief was taken aback. He didn't realize Copper cared about Tod so much.

The fox gritted his teeth. "You have no sympathy". Tod hissed. "And I get it: we're natural enemies. But you have NO idea how hard it is to be a fox, chased most of your life by hunters who only want your skin. I made a mistake that got my children killed. How do you think I feel? Or am I truly just "vermin?!"

Chief reflected back. "I have no sympathy for you. Especially YOU, personally! You ended my hunting days! Now, I want to end your days!"

Copper knew things would get ugly fast, if he didn't do something. He leapt between Tod and Chief. "Knock it off!" He yelled.

Tod growled. "Maybe if you weren't so greedy, like your master, as to chase me on the railroad bridge, you'd still have a perfectly normal leg! It's your fault, Chief! Realize that. Amos did, and it's the reason I'm still alive to this day, right in front of you."

Chief snarled back. "Amos should have killed you in the forest, if you were smart, you would have left Copper to die!"

This caused Coppers lips to quiver, but it only made Tod angrier. "I saved him because he was my friend! I didn't want to see him torn apart. Believe me, Chief: I was expecting to die on that shore. I was expecting a bullet in my puny head. Turns out Copper never really was my enemy after all."

Chief snarled. "It still doesn't make any sense! How on Earth do a fox and a hound become 'friends'? Predator and prey, enjoying each other."

Tod smiled. "The magic of childhood, Chief. We knew each other as pups. History repeats itself. What would killing me solve? Nothing. So chill out bud, we don't have to be enemies."

Chiefs demeanor lightened up. Copper decided to step in, to halt the argument. "Look Chief, just let the two pups play for one more day, then you never have to see them again."

Chief sighed, and took a deep breath. _This isn't going my way._ "I don't have an issue with Cap, or, uh, little Copper." He spoke. "My only beef is with Tod, and Tod alone. I only wanted to start shit, and it backfired."

Tod became confused. Chief could tell, so he explained. "I hate you, and that will always be true. But the little rodent hasn't caused any problems for me. He's well behaved, and bright, which even Alex notices. In fact out of him and Scoot, I'd say he's the most mature of the two. I guess you're raising him right."

Tod smiled. My son's mature? Who ya trying to fool?" He laughed. "I guess you can say something nice, after all." Chief couldn't help but smile.

Copper couldn't believe it. "Are you two getting along?"

Tod rolled his eyes. "This is the exception, not the norm. He still wants to chew my skin!"

The three of them didn't notice the other hound who was awoke. She looked at Tod in disgust. "C - Copper?! Who is this, and why are you and Chief talking to him?"

Copper explained. "Oh, honey, this is my old friend Tod I told you about. He's also Scoot's little Fox friend's father."

Tod smirked at Daisy. "Nice to meet you! You seem a bit surprised."

Daisy blushed. "A little bit. So, you saved my husband from a bear, huh? That's pretty brave of you, uh Tod. I never thought I'd converse with a fox."

"Yeah," Tod replied, "I just didn't know any better when I was young. Seems like our kids get along pretty well though."

Daisy giggled. "Yeah, it seems like they do get along, despite their differences. My daughter's a little jealous that Scoot has a fox friend. She wants one too, but I told her it probably wouldn't be a good idea."

Tod frowned. "My daughter's jealous too, but I told her it's not safe out here. She has a special coat that any Hunter would want."

This got Daisy interested. "Your daughter? That's too bad I guess. I wonder if they would get along. I'm not much of a hunting dog, so I have nothing against our other canine family members, if you get what I mean."

Chief interrupted. "I don't think I could handle two foxes anyway. Soon enough, I'll be seeing orange!" Tod laughed at this. "What's so funny?" Asked Chief.

"My daughter is white, just a bit of orange." Tod replied.

Copper smiled. "And she is beautiful, which is why you want to keep her from harm. She literally glows."

Tod was entertained with this exchange,you but he thought iy getting late. "You know, we've been here for a while, but we haven't addressed the main issue: we gonna do this final get-together?"

Copper replied, "yeah, Tod, by the pond. It should be safe on Friday, three days from now."

"Gotcha pal. Everyone else, take care of yourselves. Even you, Chief."

Chief smiled. "You too, Tod. Don't let anything else tear you apart, that's my job!" He giggled.

Tod smiled back, "heh, we'll see Chief. We'll see." And off he went, back home.


	21. Chapter 20: And There You'll Always Be

**II** Chapter 10: And There You'll Always Be

Friday, April 8

The sound of a truck pulling up to his driveway woke Amos up. _What the hay is that?_ He quickly got dressed, and ran out his front door. There, in front of him, stood an old friend.

"It's been awhile, Sam."

"Yes it has, Amos. Two years it seems?"

"Seems about right." Answered Amos. "We used to hunt right in these backwoods together. We would get so much game. You, Me, Chief and Buster. The good old days."

His friend laughed. "Yeah, Ol' Buster was a great hound dog, until he went berserk, and I had to give him to the authorities. You saved him though."

This was Sam Aloth. He used to be hunting buddies with Amos, until Buster bit him. Sam wasn't a bad hunter, but he was very clumsy and slow. He received the name "Sloth" from his hunting party.

"Come on in, I'll cook breakfast for ya, and we can talk!" Amos offered. Sam agreed.

* * *

At the table, Amos and Sloth talked about how their life was the past couple years. Sam became a business man, and was fairly wealthy. He wanted to get back into hunting though, he had a passion for it. Amos told him about his family, Liam and Alex. He told him about Scoot and how he had an unusual fox friend. This intrigued Sloth." Your grandson's hound has a fox friend? Haha, you don't hear that everyday!"

Amos grumbled. "Alex defends that thing with all his life. So, I've given up attempting to kill it. The father visited yesterday though, and that wasn't a fun event."

"Did you kill the father?" Asked Sloth. "That might solve anything future problems."

Amos sighed. "No, but I had reasons to let it go. I felt some remorse for the fella. Next time I see him though, he'll be on my wall!"

Sam pondered. "Ya know, the last thing I hunted, before Buster bit me, was a fox. Two actually: a male and a female. The male was an easy kill, but the girl took a lot of effort to kill. Buster killed it before I shot it dead. Really strange."

"Maybe we can start again someday. You can help me train Alex and his dog."

"I like that idea." Sloth replied.

* * *

"Wake _up kid!"_

 _Scoot opened his eyes,_ to see his father looking above him. "What dad?"

"Follow me."

Scoot was confused, but was bored anyway, so he followed. "Uhh, okay."

* * *

Cap tried to keep up with his dad. "Why are we going this way dad!? Isn't it dangerous?"

Tod stopped and smirked at his son. "Yes it is! But don't you love getting into trouble?

"Uhh, no."

Tod couldn't help but laugh. "Just chill out, we're almost there."

They came upon a tall curtain of grass.

"Walk through it." Tod said.

"Wh-"

"JUST DO IT!"

"Ok", Cap defeatedly said. He walked through the grass.

There, sitting down next to the lake was his puppy friend, who saw him and smiled.

"Cap!?"

"Scoot!?"

The two of them ran towards each other, and tumbled onto the grass.

"I thought I'd never see you again!" Cap sobbed.

"Me neither!" Scoot cried.

Copper and Tod walked out of the grass.

Copper spoke. "We figured you guys should be able to properly say goodbye. This is the last time you can see each other. I'm sorry."

"We're making sure you guys are safe today," Tod said. "When it's time to leave, ya gotta leave though."

Cap wanted to throw a tantrum right then and there. But he knew it would reflect poorly on him. "I guess it's a good idea then. Scoot, wanna play hide and seek?"

"Yeah, Cap! Let's go!"

Copper and Tod watched, as their son's played together, mirroring their own childhood.

"It's hard to watch, Copper. They're just like us!" Tod stuttered.

 _You and I, we aren't so different_

 _We have many things the same_

 _But society will divide us_

 _Oh, such it is a shame_

"Copper, I'm up here!" Scoot cried out.

Cap looked up, and saw his friend hiding in the treetops. He couldn't help but smile.

 _Herein lies a story_

 _One you're sure to find_

 _Ends too soon abruptly_

 _By leaving you behind_

The two of them jumped in the lake, splishing and splashing each other. Cap's hat was soaked, but he didn't care. Now was the time to worry about his friend.

 _There's nothing we can do._

 _It so happens to be true._

 _It's who we are__

 _It's who we are__

 _(Who we are) Maybe it's cause of our differences_

 _And our differences remain true_

 _Those that which are preventing_

 _Me from having fun with you_

 _It's obvious that our friendship_

 _Was never meant to be_

 _My friend I promise you, I will_

 _I will ne - ver forget you__

Now, the two friends were chasing each other around the field. This time Cap made sure that he avoided the trees. Cap stopped running and let Scoot collapse into him. They were playfully gnawing and growling, as dogs do.

 _The paths that lead us forward_

 _Will Split us far apart_

 _But they can never, take away_

 _What comes from within the heart_

The sun was starting to go down. Tod signaled that they had an hour left. They decided to just lay down in the grass, and chat about their futures. Cap still wanted to keep his title as fastest critter in the forest. He hoped someday he would find a mate. Scoot was ready to be a top hunting dog. He still liked Annie. Cap asked what Scoot would do if they ever met again. Scoot reassured Cap, that he would never try to hurt him. He said Alex would know better, and wouldn't shoot Cap. The odd pair of friends would soon be no more.

 _We thought this day would never come_

 _How could we be so dumb?_

 _I'd give up more than a petty dime_

 _If we could have more time_

 _It's who we are__

 _It's who we are__

 _(Who we are) Maybe it's cause of our differences_

 _And our differences remain true_

 _Those that which are preventing_

 _Me from being here with you_

 _It's obvious that our friendship_

 _Was never meant to be_

 _My friend I promise you, I will_

 _I will ne - ver forget you__

The two friends said their goodbyes, they couldn't hold back the tears. Cap was almost ready to leave, when out of the grass, came Alex.

Cap looked at Alex, then back to his father. He ran toward Alex, and jumped in his arms. Without saying a word, Alex cuddled Cap. He gave him a hug, and Cap licked him on the cheek. Alex noticed Tod was getting impatient, as he started growling. Alex let Cap go, and started crying, as he loved playing with Cap.

Scoot and Cap walked up to each other for the last time.

Cap cried. "My friend I promise, I will never, ever forget you."

Scoot sobbed. "Goodbye Copper."

"Goodbye Scoot."

The two pairs of father and son walked away from each other, for the last time. It was the last time they would ever see each other again.

...

...

 _Or was it?_

* * *

That night, a seemingly happy Buster went to wake up Copper.

"Copper, wake up."

"Wh- why?"

"Meet me on the side of the barn."

 _What does he want?_ Thought Copper. As he reluctantly followed.

He soon found out.

Buster was grinning. "So, your kids said good bye today, huh? I could've attacked, but I decided to show some mercy."

"What do you want?!" Copper inquired.

The dark hound laughed. "I still want to kill Copper. You know, Tod's son. I will hunt him down, till he is finished!"

Copped was frustrated. "Why would you tell me this?"

"Because, Copper my friend: I want to make a deal. If you agree, I won't touch the little rat."

 _This can't be good, thought Copper._ "What's the deal?"

Buster walked out of the shadow of the barn, and looked toward the forest. "I want you to kill Tod."

...

"What?!"

"It's simple," chuckled Buster. "You kill Tod, and I leave his family alone. Wouldn't want that _white_ little girl to die too, would you?"

Copper tackled Buster. "You aren't gonna touch them!"

Buster laughed. "Ha, _you_ don't know what I'm going to do, Copper! However, you can save those kids from a painful death. Just kill their father! Hahahaha!"

Buster's voice got softer. "Or I'll lead Liam right to the poor little foxies home. Wouldn't that be a shame? If they all perished?"

Copper got off of Buster, trying not to look him in the eyes.

The dark hound grinned. "You already know what Liam did to Copper. What if he did that to all of them?"

Copper became fearful, and his face reflected this. "Why do you want to kill them?"

Buster explained. "That family is tricky to kill, and when you fail at finishing them off, it makes you want to kill them even more!" Buster grimaced. "But that TOD is the problem. If he is still alive, I'll kill his entire family in front of him. If he's dead, there's no need to then, and they can live".

Copper was conflicted. "I'll stop you!"

Buster gave Copper an evil smile. "You won't. However, you have a week to decide. Tick, tock."

Buster left Copper alone. Copper looked toward the forest, where his fox friend lived. _I really don't want to do this, but Buster has left me no choice. Your kids are innocent, they don't deserve to die. Your mate never did anything either. But you, we had trouble in the past. I never had anything against you, really. But your kids must live, and I know Buster will stop at nothing till they are finished. You've had a sad life, it couldn't possibly get any more awful. We're the best of friends, you and I, and I don't want to see you die. But even I'll admit I'd rather have one perish than more. I'm doing this for our own good. We can put a stop to this, but there is always a high price to pay, even you know that. Thus, I extend this thought to you, as the last time I think positively of you, as I could never think of killing a friend. This is how it has to be._

...

 _I'm sorry, Tod._

* * *

 _End of Part II_

Who is Sloth?

Will Buster get Copper to do his bidding?

Will Scoot and Copper (the fox) be friends again?


	22. Chapter 21: Cap's Forest Run

**Part III: A test of Friendship**

Chapter 21: Cap's Forest Run

 _Two weeks later…_

Friday, April 22

The two weeks following their separation was hard to get through for Cap and Scoot. Luckily for the fox, his other Fox friend's came back from their trip, so he wasn't lonely.

"I'm gonna win!" Exclaimed his gray fox friend, Silver.

"No your not!" Shouted Cap, desperately trying to match his friends speed. The pain in his paw was nearly gone, but it still affected his ability to run. This was a way to ignore the pain.

Seeing the log that marked the finish line, Cap picked up speed. Unfortunately, he tripped on a bump in the forest floor. His friend noticed, and ran back to help him up.

"Ugh, still not there, but I will be." Cap groaned.

His friend laughed. "You'll eventually get back to normal! For now, let's go find the others!"

They scouted out where the other three of their group went.

They found them near the trail that runs throughout the middle of the woods. Cap's sister was there too! Lily was there, along with their other friends: Comet, Skip, and Bandit. They were all red foxes, unlike Silver.

"Hey!" Cap shouted, startling the group.

Lily spoke up, "Your leg healed yet?!"

Cap raised his paw. "I think a couple more days and it'll be good. Till then, Silver is the fastest creature in the forest!"

" What do you guys wanna do?" Asked Bandit.

"I wanna see how my Ol' friend Scoot is doing, from the treetops. Then I'll be down to play hide and seek!"

Lily was worried, "you know Copper, dad said you couldn't see him ever again."

Cap groaned. "It's how I cope with it, okay?" Without warning he scaled the closest tree,and ran towards his ex-friends house. Silver followed him. They stopped on the closest tree to the farm. It was still quite far away.

From here, it looked like Scoot was lonely again. His friends went home last week, but now he knew more about hunting.

Scoot looked up from his spot, as he could see an orange animal in the trees. He attempted a wave, and Cap waved back. Surprisingly, Buster was no where to be seen.

"So, you taught that mutt how to climb, eh?" Asked Silver.

Copper responded, "Yeah, but I'm not worried about it. He taught me some evasive hunting techniques."

"Ahh, I see. Let's hope the other dogs don't notice us. As a matter of fact, we should probably get back."

The two foxes decided to head back to their little group.

* * *

The other kits were sitting on a log, waiting for the other two to come back. They didn't realize, that they had an unexpected visitor. It snuck up on them, before pouncing on Bandit.

"Hey! What's the big idea!?" He shouted.

The dark hound wasted no time replying. "I've never seen so many of you rodents all at once! Let's see, one, two... Four? Heheh, you guys would look great on my owners door."

Bandit squirmed under the grip of Buster, but he didn't have enough strength.

Buster ignored the squirming prey, and scanned the other foxes. He came across Lily, and an evil smile slowly spread across his face. "Where's your brother?"

Lily didn't respond.

Buster tightened his grip on Bandit. "I'm going to kill him, unless you tell me where he is. So, WHERE IS COPPER?"

Lily still didn't respond, she was too scared.

Busters smile grew wider, as he choked the life out of the young fox. "You are Tod's daughter, Lily. If you don't answer, I'll kill you too! After all, my hunter would love your coat!"

Lily tried her best to distance herself from the hound. "But, we don't- associa- with hounds- anymore."

Buster looked forward to what was coming next. "Not the answer I wanted!" He almost got to the point of crushing Bandit's neck, when a voice stopped him.

" Looking for me, jerk?" Buster gazed above him. There was Cap, ready to jump on Buster from a tree.

"Well, well, well," said the hound, "looks like little Cap is almost as good as new! _I like when my prey has a fighting chance."_

Cap jumped down from his tree, and landed in front of Buster. "You leave my friends alone!" He hissed.

"Bwahaha! This is cute. As if you think I'm _not_ going to kill all of you! In fact, after today, you and your sister won't have any protection against me!" The hound laughed. "I'll finish you off first, Cap!"

Buster growled, which caused Cap to break into a run. The hound pursued him.

* * *

Tod walked ever so closer to The Slade farm. Copper came by last night, and told him to meet him.

"Copper? Buddy?"

The bloodhound appeared from his doghouse, smiling at his friend. "Hey, Tod! I gotta show you something today."

Tod was confused. "Uhh, show me what?"

"Just follow me." Copper replied, as he started walking East.

"Okay... I guess." Said Tod.

Copper walked toward his objective, with conflicting thoughts in his head. _I don't know why I am doing this. I don't want to do this. I'm doing it though. Poor Tod. He doesn't know I'm leading him to his grave._

* * *

Cap kept running, still being pursued by Buster. The hound couldn't keep up with him, no matter how hard he tried. What Cap didn't realize, was that it was all a trick: a distraction. He was trying to keep Cap away from his father, so that Copper could kill him. Buster didn't actually know where Copper was going to perform the deed, but he just kept chasing Cap. Lily was actually chasing them, but was far enough that Buster couldn't detect her. Something else interested Lily though: a young black hound puppy.

* * *

Scoot didn't understand where his dad was going, but he decided to look around for clues. He heard barking coming from the area near the railroad bridge, so he decided to go check it out. Alex was home for the day, but he was nowhere to be found.

Shadow, on the other hand, decided to brave the forest. She heard a hound chasing an animal, but didn't think much of it. She found something else, though, that made her ecstatically happy.

* * *

Lily stared at the black puppy in front of her. "Uhh... Hello! What- you- name?" She trembled.

The puppy smiled. "I'm Shadow! You're a fox, right?"

Lily nervously grabbed her tail. "I- believe- so..."

Shadow noticed the fox was nervous about their encounter. "Hey, it's okay! I'm not gonna hurt you! What are you doing out here by yourself?"

The fox trembled. "I-, was- chasi- brother and I". Lily sighed. "I'm sorry. I'm scared."

Shadow sighed. "I wanted to know where my brother went too. He used to play with his fox friend, but now he randomly runs around the field."

This perked Lily's interest. "Your brother had a fox friend? Wait a minute... your my brother's, friends sister!"

Shadow beamed. "Ahhh, so your the little white fox that dad was talking about. It's a shame what happened to our brothers though. Say, you wanna see if we can find em'?"

Lily wanted to track her brother down to make sure he was safe. "Sounds like a good idea!" She smiled. _Now I have a hound friend too, Copper!_

* * *

Cap's chase came to a hill, near the river. There was no where to run, now! One side of the hill lead to a steep incline covered in Sharp branches, while the other lead to a ledge next to the water.

The fox sighed in defeat, nearly out of breath. "So, this is where it ends, huh?"

The hound smirked. "This is nothing but a wild goose chase, Cap. You're separated from your father: your protector. Soon enough, he will be no more!"

"What are you talking about?" Asked an alarmed Cap.

"I have a friend that will finish the job!"


	23. Chapter 22: Still the Best of Friends?

**III** Chapter 22: Still the Best of Friends?

Shadow was enjoying the company of her new 'friend'.

"So, what do you guys do for fun?" Shadow asked. "I played tag with Scoot and Cap a couple times."

"We usually race around the forest, or swim. Our dad told us that by doing so, we avoid becoming a hunters next pelt." Answered the young vixen.

They were already near the river. Shadow noticed someone on the nearby hill. "I see Cap!" She yelled, as she ran up the hill.

Lily just stayed put, as she noticed the scary black hound from earlier, was accompanying her brother.

Unfortunately for Shadow, she lost her footing on one of the rocks jutting out of the hill. She hit the ground hard, and blacked out

* * *

Scoot came to the river clearing. He saw that his father was at the top of the quarry, with Tod. _What could they be doing up there._

 _..._

Tod was confused. "What are we doing up here?"

"Just run to the end of the bridge." Said Copper.

The two of them started to run across the bridge, when Tod felt something heavy pin him down. It was Copper!

Tod was cross. "What the hell do you think you're doing?"

With tears in his eyes, Copper replied, "I'm sorry, Tod. You're family will be safe, I promise."

Tod, struggling with all his might, could not fully comprehend the betrayal. He gave Copper a look of fright. "You- you are actually killing me, aren't you?" He whined.

The hound dared not to answer.

"You're holding me until a train comes, huh? What problem are you trying to solve? I thought we were friends?"

Copper sighed. "I'm only doing this because I am your friend, Tod. I care about your kids though."

Tod was still confused. "So killing me will protect them? Are you out of your mind?!"

...

Scoot saw, in horror, his father's plan for murder. He howled as loudly as he could, which got the attention of his owner.

* * *

Alex rushed toward his puppies cry, only to be stopped by Amos and Liam.

"What are you runnin' too Sunny? Got a date?" Teased Amos.

Alex grabbed his Grandpa's hand. "I heard Scoot howling by the bridge! Something must be wrong!"

Liam ran toward their home. "I'll meet you there! Go get that rascal!"

Amos and Alex ran toward the bridge.

"You reckon Copper's there too?" Asked Amos.

"Probably," answered Alex.

* * *

Tod could feel the rumble in the tracks. _I have less then two minutes to think of something. Maybe if Copper is distracted, I can push him off of me. "_ Hey, Copper! How you gonna get off the bridge in time."

Copper's mind was racing. _Shit, how did I not think of that!?_

This seemed to loosen his hold on Tod. Tod was ready to use all of his strength. The rumbling in the tracks increased, and the lights of the train could be seen across the bridge. _I'm going to kick us both off this bridge._

Down below, the Slade's arrived to see what was happening on the bridge.

"Copper's with that fox!" Shouted Amos.

"They are going to get hit by a train!" Yelled Alex.

Tod was deep in his thoughts. He felt the train approach closer. It was about 15 seconds away now. _Alright, stay calm. 10. 9. 8. 7. 6. 5._ He closed his eyes, focusing entirely on his legs. _4\. 3. 2. 1._ The train was nearly upon them. Copper regretted his idea.

Tod was ready. _Here we go!_ He kicked as hard as he could, sending Copper hurling into the water below. Tod dove in after him _,_ but was so exhausted, he became unconscious during the fall.

...

Back on the hill, a very angry Buster watched, as his plan failed.

"What are you looking at?" A child's voice growled.

Busted gritted his teeth. "Your last chance of survival, which has gone."

Cap was on the opposite side of the hill.

Buster charged toward him.

The hound laughed. "If I don't kill you, I can still take _her_ out!"

Cap looked behind him in horror. There lie an unconscious Shadow, right behind him.

 _oh no, Shadow! She's behind me, and Buster's going to charge right into her! Cap_ thought. He looked past Shadow, to where the hill ended at a sharp drop, above a flat Rock, twenty or so feet below. _That fall will kill her!_

Cap circled around shadow, quickly deciding how to save her from the charging hound. _I'm sorry!_ He rammed her off the hill, into the bundle of sharp thorns. Buster ran straight into Cap, but he flew into the water below, as his angle of descent was changed.

Alex didn't see Cap charge into Shadow, but he did see her nearly get impaled by the branches. He ran as fast as he could, grabbing Shadow from the pile of death. She was bleeding heavily.

The only one who saw Cap shove Shadow was Scoot. He was pissed. _Why would you do that Copper? Why would you attempt to kill my sister?_ A dark thought crossed his mind. _Maybe I was wrong about you, Cap. Maybe there is a reason we are supposed to be enemies. You tried to kill my sister, and you failed._ He snarled at the young fox in the water, swimming to shore.

 _Well, I won't **fail.**_

 _ **...**_

Copper dove underwater, in search of Tod. _What have I done? How could I even attempt to end his life?_ He found the red fox, at the bottom of the river. He grabbed onto it's neck, and dragged it toward the surface. When they emerged, Tod was conscious again. Copper glanced toward his friend, who had tears in his eyes, along with a face of dismay. They got to the shore of the river.

"Why?" The fox finally spoke.

Copper looked down at the ground. "I couldn't kill you Tod."

He Sighed, while staring off into the distance.

"What was I thinking?"

...

Cap reached the side of the river, and pulled himself up. He met the angry face of his puppy friend, who was growling at him. Suddenly, Scoot lunged on top of him.

"You wanna play?" Questioned Cap.

The hound gave no response. Instead, he latched onto Cap's bad leg with his teeth, and bit down.

"Owww! Scoot! That hurts! Let go!" When he figured out his friend wouldn't let go, he yelled out in pain.

Alex ran toward the injured fox, first giving Shadow to Amos.

Scoot's face was full of hatred. He let go of Cap's bleeding paw, and attempted to lunge at his face, when Alex picked up Cap.

"What's the matter with you guys?" The boy asked. "You never tried to kill each other before!"

The two father's ran up to the side of Alex. Tod did not want to converse with Copper, but they both were alarmed to see Scoot hurting Cap.

"Son, why are you hurting Cap?" Asked Copper.

Scoot growled. "Because he hurt my sister!"

Cap wanted to explain, but the pain in his leg was too much to handle. All he could do was whimper.

For some strange reason, Alex carried some cloth in his pocket, which he wrapped around Cap's leg.

Alex saw his father running to him, with a shotgun. "You guys better go!" He yelled to Tod. He dropped Cap (which caused him to yelp) and picked up Scoot.

The foxes tried to run away, but Cap was stopped by his friend's anger.

"Cap!" Scoot screamed.

The fox stopped, and turned around, to face Scoot.

The puppy was enraged. "Cap, I'm warning you. I've been on a real hunt now. I've _killed_ pests. I'm a real hunting dog now, despite my age. Don't think my owner will protect you forever! He's mine! And when he realizes I have no interest in you anymore, he will drop you dead! You hurt my sister, and I'm going to get you back for it! If its the last thing I do, **I'll kill you!"**

Cap wanted to reply, but Alex ran off with Scoot, as he didn't enjoy his puppy growling.

Cap limped back home, in tears. _Scoot doesn't understand, I tried to save her!_

 _History repeats itself..._


	24. Chapter 23: Captured

III Chapter 23: Captured

Saturday, April 23rd

"I don't understand it!" Shouted Cap to his group of friends. "You'd think Scoot would know I wouldn't dare try to hurt his sister!"

Lily was upset, as she wanted to play with Shadow, but she couldn't, due to the puppy's injuries. She understood why Cap injured her though. "I know it's sad brother, but maybe it's a good thing we won't come across them again. They are hunters after all, they kill us!"

"Yeah!" Said Bandit, "that black hound almost killed me yesterday! How could you trust them?"

"And didn't that one hound try to kill your father?" Questioned Skip. "I'd say good riddance."

Cap glared daggers at his sister. "You're right. They are hunters meant to kill us. The difference now is, that Scoot wants to kill me!"

"Hey! We'll protect you Copper!" Assured Comet. "He won't get near you."

"That's nice." Agreed Cap. "But I don't want you guys getting involved. I need to face this. Alone. I have to tell him why I did what I did!"

Cap started walking toward the farm.

"Copper, don't go!" Yelled Lily.

"Let me be!" The bright orange fox yelled back. He paid no attention to the calls to come back. He had a mission. Even if it had the possibility of killing him. _I don't want to live in a world where we are enemies, Scoot. Even if you killed me, I'd still be granted that wish._

* * *

Copper was surveying the forest from his doghouse. His son was on the other side of the yard, talking to Buster. Being friendly to Buster. Copper knew that his son wasn't playing when he said he wanted Cap dead. Copper wanted to make sure that didn't happen. He saw orange in the forest. He sighed. "Cap, please. Don't come back here! You aren't safe here! Go home, you're going to get us both in trouble!"

The fox was silent, his head faced the ground. Eventually, he mustered the courage to talk. "Copper, I need to talk to Scoot. He needs to know what happened! Busted was trying to ram me off the hill, but Shadow was behind me, and the fall would of killed her, and I tried to do something, and I-"

"Shhhhhhhh". Copper interrupted. "I know what happened, Cap. But Scoot is in a bad state of mind right now. He won't listen to anyone. You did hurt my daughter, regardless of what happened. I am mad at you for that."

Cap's lips quivered. "But- there- was- nothing."

"I know Cap, that in situations where one must think fast, mistakes will be made. You pushed her into the sharp branches. Could you have not pushed her off the mountain but nudged her to the side instead? Maybe. But at that moment, you tried to do what you thought was right." The hound sighed. "Look, I'm only mad at you for causing Shadow to get injured. I'm not mad at you for anything else, despite it not being completely your fault. It's my protective instincts as a father, I'm sure Tod has them too."

Cap remembered his father's struggle yesterday. "Why did you try to kill my dad?"

Copper took a deep breath. "I'd rather not answer that question. I was told by doing it, it would protect you from any more harm. Sadly, it seems I was lied to."

The two of them stared at each other for a moment.

"Why does Scoot think I tried to kill Shadow," Cap cracked.

"Because, Cap. As hounds, it is built into us to hate you foxes. We've been long bred to kill your kind. He saw you push Shadow, and instead of trying to find reason, that instinct took over. It's the same reason I vowed revenge on your dad." Copper looked behind him, and saw that his son and Buster was coming towards him. He turned back to Cap. "You better go, before something happens."

Cap agreed, and ran back into the woods, and Copper ran towards Amos' house. He didn't want to converse with Buster.

Cap decided to hide in the trees, and listen to what Scoot and Buster would say. He planned to apologize after Buster left.

"So you think Cap will come back and we can take him out?'

"Precisely, Scoot! That dumb fox still thinks you guys are friends!"

"That rodent will pay! But Buster, I'm the one that gets to finish him, okay?

"That's fine, kid! I told you that you would be killing that so called friend of yours, haha! Just stick to the plan!"

Buster whispered something into Scoot's ear, but Cap couldn't hear it. " _Im going to go hide. He's up in the tree."_

* * *

Jake could not take it anymore. From his dad yelling about flashbacks, to the sound of his neighbor's dogs barking and making noise, he had to do something. He opened his drawer and found a small pocket knife. _I'm going to stab myself, in the shape of a dog bite. I am going to pretend to pet that puppy. When it gets closer, I'm going to scream, pretend I got bit, and roll up my sleeve. Animal Control will come, and they will take that damn dog away! It's fool proof! Alex ruined my life at school, so I'm going to run his life!_

 _"Dad, call Animal Control soon! I'm going to fix our problem!"_

* * *

Scoot tried to find Cap in the trees. He didn't need to though, as the red-hatted fox walked out of the grass. The two locked eyes. Nothing was said for a moment.

"Hey Cap".

"Hey Scoot. H- h- how's Shadow?"

"She's got bruises on her face and back. You really did a number on her."

Cap pondered. _This is going okay so far. Maybe he won't call Buster?_

 _"_ Look, Scoot. I- I didn't mean it! I can explain!"

"Of course, you didn't mean it!" _Of course you didn't, you vermin!_ "You don't have to explain anything, Cap! I understand!"

Cap was confused. "You do?"

"Yeah Cap. I understand. But you don't understand...

 **that you're as good as dead!"**

the last thing Cap remembered was something heavy hitting him. He blacked out.

* * *

Cap awoke to the sound of howling. He was pinned down, by Scoot.

"You're stupid, Cap. You actually thought I was going to be nice to you, after what you did!"

"You wouldn't let me explain!"

"There's nothing to explain, Cap! I saw everything! And now, while I would love to wait till we're older, so I can kill you like the pest you are, in the forest; I'd rather you embrace a death you deserve!"

Cap could faintly see Buster and Liam in the distance.

The hound continued. "When I think you've had enough, I'll let Liam shoot you!"

Cap's mind was racing. _I have to get out of this hold! If Liam and Buster get here, they are going to skewer me! I'm good as dead then!_

Cap rolled over, causing Scoot to collapse on the ground. The fox got on his legs, and ran as fast as he could, away from the hounds.

"Get him!" Shouted Liam.

Cap tried his best to ignore the pain in his leg. He didn't have the stamina to outrun them for long, so he had to think of something. The hounds and the owner we're right behind him. He ducked under the fence, and ran under it. He was past the farm now, on the street of the cul-de-sac. Cap hid in one of the neighbors rosebushes on the other side. The dogs lost him, but he could see them from across the street. Liam huffed, and in defeat, went inside, and slammed the door. Cap noticed a boy, about Alex's age, was walking over to Scoot. he noticed, that the boy's arm was bleeding, but then he covered it up. Cap had a bad feeling about this.

* * *

Jake walked on to Liam's yard. Scoot was in the front, searching for Cap.

"Here puppy!" The boy called out while walking closer, ominously giggling.

Scoot heard, and turned around. He ran to Jake.

Cap realized now why Jake's arm was red. He still had a little faith in his friend.

Scoot proceeded to get closer to Jake.

Cap had to do something. He ran out of his hiding spot. "Scoot, don't go near him!"

Scoot noticed the fox, but ignored his warning.

Now, Scoot was close enough to touch Jake.

It was too late.

Jake slapped Scoot across his muzzle, which caused him to growl. The boy then uncovered his wounds. "Aaahhhhhhhhhh!" Jake screamed "He bit me!"

Alex ran out of his house, hearing Jake screamed. "What the hel-"

Cap bolted towards Jake, and grabbed his pants with his teeth. He wanted to distance him from Scoot.

Jake kicked Cap in the stomach, with his other foot.

"This stupid fox bit me too!"

An old man came toward Alex, from Jake's house. Amos heard the commotion, and ran towards it.

"I called animal control son, they will be here any minute now." Jake's father said. He then turned to Alex. "And you! You are despicable! You shouldn't own a dog, if you can't train them to not attack people! Well I guess you get what you deserve then!"

"B- but Scoot would never-" Alex was interrupted.

" _bet skewt wed never_ CAN IT!" The man mocked. "Well he did, and now he's going to die because of you! You very irresponsible owner!"

Scoot was in the middle of the arguing adults. He tried to run away, but he found himself hoisted into the air, and thrown into a cage. He bolted for the door, but it was locked!

"Any more?" Asked the animal control officer.

Cap ran straight into the door of the cage. "I know you're innocent Scoot! I kn-" he found himself thrown into a separate cage.

"That fox bit me in the leg!" Screamed Jake.

The officer acknowledged him.

Copper and Chief ran to the front yard, and noticed the two pups trapped. "What happened?!"

Chief growled at Cap. "Was this you're doing?"

Cap talked through the tears. "No! That boy cut himself and pinned it on Scoot saying that he bit him! He even smacked him across the face! I bit down on his pants to drag him away, and I got caught!"

Copper gazed at Scoot. "Is this true?"

Scoot looked up at his father, and slowly nodded.

Copper growled. He knew what happened to dogs who bit people. However, his son was innocent, and he was going to die over a lie! "Scoot... they are going to kill you... And Cap. I'm sorry son. I will get that jerk back for this, I promise!"

Scoot and Cap we're alarmed. "What?!" They both shouted in unison.

Copper tilted his head toward the ground. He stumbled, "a- any animal that bites a human is grounds for being put down. It's not painful though, I... promise." That was the last thing he said to the two of them, as the officer grabbed the cages and flung them into his truck.

"Wh- where are you taking them?" Alex cried.

The officer looked back at Alex. "A facility in the city. Don't worry, they got a few hours left."

The officer coldly went to the front of his truck, and started his car.

Alex watched, as the truck drove away, carrying his animal "friends".

* * *

Scoot was staring at the fox that was in the cage next to him. Cap glanced at Scoot.

"If I was out of this cage, I'd kill you right now!" The hound remarked.

Cap turned over and went to sleep. There was no point in arguing, as everything would end soon.


	25. Chapter 24: The Truth

III Chapter 24: The Truth

A/N: This chapter utilizes extreme amounts of profanity! You have been warned.

Alex was forced to attend to his "enemy". Amos told him to patch up Jake, while he conversed with Dale, Jake's father, inside.

The two boys were sitting at a picnic table in the backyard.

Alex recollected what the officer said to him. I know _the facility, I volunteered there sophomore year. It's the same pound that Buster was at, but it's connected to a shelter and veterinary clinic. Since it's basically the only 'pound" in the city, the place is massive. It's in Pittsburgh though-_

"Hey dickwad! You gonna bandage me up, or keep staring at me like that?"

 _Right, I forgot I had to attend to this douchebag. Lovely._

Alex got out the gauze and started wiping the blood off Jake's arm with some wipes. "So, Scoot did this to you, huh? What did you do to him?"

" I didn't do nothin, jerk! Your piece of shit dog just came up to me and bit me!"

Alex continued wiping the blood off. Jake was still bleeding pretty heavily.

* * *

Tod was standing near the entrance to the forest. Copper ran to him. He told Tod about what happened, and the lie.

Tod stared at the ground in defeat. But anger was overcoming him.

"I know, Tod. It's hard... But there is nothing we can do!"

Tod growled. "There is something we can do! We are going to show Scoot's owner that the punk is a lying prick! Come on!" Tod walked toward the two boys.

Copper stood still. "You seem pretty upset."

The fox laughed. "Ha! Upset?! I'm pissed!"

* * *

Alex finished up bandaging Jake. "There you are! Good as new!"

The other boy scoffed, and got on his feet. Until he saw Tod. "Sh- sh- shoot that fox!"

Alex giggled. "Oh, that's Tod. I don't think he's able to comprehend that you are the reason his son's getting killed!"

"What?!"

Copper glanced at Tod. "Maybe we should pull his pants leg up? Cap said he didn't bite him."

Jake backed away from the fox who was walking toward him. He tried to turn and run, but all of a sudden, the fox was pulling on the bottom of his jeans.

"Get off me, you stupid fox!" He kicked Tod off of him.

Alex noticed something. Jake's leg had no marks! "Wait, didn't you say that Cap bit you on the leg?"

Jake was furious. "What the hell are you talking about Slade!?"

The lightbulb went off in Alex's head. _Heheheh. You are human garbage, Jake! What else did you lie about?_ He grabbed Jake's arm and pulled off the cloth, the bleeding stopped.

Jake screamed, which caused Amos, Dale, and Liam to come outside. Amos saw something, that made him walk back inside to grab a shotgun.

What Alex saw not only made him disappointed in humanity, but made him _really_ want to assault Jake. "These aren't bite marks! These are knife wounds!" He threw Jake on the ground.

Dale was frozen.

Alex continued. "My dog never bit you! Cap never bit you! It was all a lie!"

Jake was now shaking in fear.

"Why?" Alex inquired. "Why would you want my dog to be put down?"

Now Jake's fear went straight into anger. "Because, your dumbass dog would not shut the hell up! You know how bad it is, having your veteran father yelling at you, because the damn dog reminds him of war? Not to mention, that dog was shit to begin with! Because he had a shitty owner... YOU!"

Alex fought back the tears. No, it wasn't sadness he was feeling. It was rage! He picked Jake up by the collar of his shirt and forced him to his feet. He was really going to make him pay.

"Fuck you!" Alex screamed, as he punched Jake square in the face, knocking him out cold.

Dale was fuming. "I will have you arrested for assault! I'm not going to let you get-"

Alex grabbed Dale's arm, and twisted it behind his back. The man was sweating bullets.

Alex whispered in his ear. " _You killed my fucking dog. You call the cops, I'll make sure you have more to worry about than dogs barking."_ He shoved Dale against the house. "For a Vietnam Vet, you sure act like a pussy."

Liam was surprised. But deep down, he was impressed. His son was fighting back for something he believed in.

All eyes turned to the door, when Amos appeared, with his shotgun cocked. "What did I tell you about coming back here, rodent?"

Alex turned to where his gun was pointing. It was the fox. _No, without Tod, I wouldn't have found out the truth._

The fox froze in fear. Amos put his finger on the trigger, when he felt his shotgun lower. "What are you doing, Alex?"

"I'm not letting you kill Tod!" The teen declared. "He latched onto Jake's clothes where I could see there were no bites."

Amos stared at Alex in disbelief. "You're defending the damn thing again?"

Alex sighed. "The poor thing doesn't know that they took his son too. Let him be."

Dale picked Jake up, and carried him home. Liam went inside. Amos gave up on trying to kill Tod, and went home.

Buster appeared out of the blue, and ran towards Tod, who was walking back to the forest. The fox didn't notice the hound. The boy wasn't having it.

Alex grabbed Buster by the snout and held his mouth shut. "If I ever see you hurting one of those foxes, I'm really going to punish you, you stupid mutt!"

Alex released Buster, which caused him to run back home.

Alex walked toward Tod, who was watching. He sat down next to the fox. Copper collapsed into Alex's lap. The three of them sat there, for what seemed like an eternity.

"You know what I'm gonna do, guys?" Alex stated. "I'm gonna get those pups back. Some way, somehow." He caressed Copper's forehead.

Tod seems to want a piece of the pie, so he nudged Alex. Alex understood, and rubbed Tod under the chin.

"It'll be okay Tod, I promise."

The fox decided to lay down against Alex's other side, and closed his eyes.

* * *

Liam walked out of his backdoor, and saw his son sleeping against a tree, with the two animals sawing logs in his lap. He hated the fox, but decided that Alex had a rough day, so he let them be.

Alex awoke a couple minutes later, his mind was racing. _The pound has a security code that changes with the date. I thought it was a pretty simple math formula, I just gotta remember it._


	26. Chapter 25: Locked Away

III Chapter 25: Locked Away

When they arrived at the pound, Scoot and Cap were each thrown into cages in the wall. They were next to each other, but a wall separated them.

"Looks like we have guestsssssss" Hissed a pitbull.

The large room was basically a warehouse, with the cries of animals echoing throughout.

Cap couldn't even attempt to sleep. He noticed there was a red marker on his "cell".

He decided to ask the pitbull if she knew what it was. "Hey, you! That just hissed at us. What does the red tag mean.

The Pitbull chuckled, as did the surrounding dogs. A Rottweiler answered, in what sounded like the voice of a parrot. "It means you're dead! Har!"

The pitbull decided to clarify, but her normal voice was deeper. "You're priority to be exterminated. That's what it means. You usually get up to a day. Judging that it's not late, you'll probably be euthanized tonight!"

The dogs started laughing again.

Scoot was trying to shield his ears.

"It's no use! Hahahahahaha!" Chuckled a Chihuahua in front of him.

Cap decided to peek outside his cell. He could see a golden retriever next to him! In fact, he saw many puppies next to him! But through the cracks on the other side, he saw his once best friend, curled in a ball, shivering in fright.

Cap completely lost it. He started bawling. "In the span of two weeks, I lost my friend, I lost my family, I lost my home, and my best friend wants to kill me!"

The dogs were now paying attention to Cap's ramblings.

"And now...," The young fox whimpered, "we're both going to die..."

The golden retriever tried to comfort him. "It's okay little fox! Just think, you won't have to be in sorrow for much longer. Who's your friend?"

Cap whimpered. "The white brown-spotted bloodhound next to me."

Scoot was annoyed. "We aren't friends! You should have never come back! If you didn't, we wouldn't be stuck here!"

"Just calm down guys!" One of the dogs said, "just let bygones be bygones. There's not much you can do now!"

A beagle piped up. "A fox and a hound are-"

"Were" Scoot interrupted.

"Ah yes," the beagle continued, "were friends. That's not a usual thing you hear, but it's interesting regardless."

"I just want to find a way to get him back!" Cap cried. "I don't want to die knowing we hate each other!"

Scoot growled, "that ship has sail-"

"You never let me finish!" Cap interrupted. "If you did, you would know the truth! I tried to save Shadow! Buster was going to ram into her!"

Scoot snarled. "You pushed her into a pit of thorns! How is that saving her?"

Cap sighed. "Because the alternative was to have her get pushed off, hitting her head on the ground below."

One of the large doors opened to the room. Out walked a man, presumably one that worked there. They unlatched the cage of the golden retriever puppy.

"Where are they taking you?!" Worried Cap.

The puppy giggled. "I'm getting adopted silly! I've been waiting weeks, and finally it happened!"

The man picked the puppy up, and smiled. "There's a nice little girl who's going to be your owner! You gotta get your shots first though, I'm afraid." He turned to the two pups, marked for euthanization. "Poor guys". He chided, before walking back through the door, golden retriever in his arms.

Cap curled up in a ball. _I should probably just sleep instead of worrying._ He flung his hat into the cage. _Maybe someone will find it one day..._


	27. Chapter 26: Unlikely Rescue Team

III Chapter 26: The Unlikely Rescue Team

 _A year passed. Cap and Scoot were fully grown now. The Slade's seemed to have warmed up to the Fox's presence. Even Buster didn't seem to mind._

 _Scoot was Alex's pet, but that didn't stop him from running around the forest, daily, with his orange friend. Kat and Alex watched the two scurry off into the woods. Annie gave Chase to the duo._

 _Life was so peaceful now..._

* * *

Alex was startled awake. Reality struck. He noticed the two animals were still sleeping against him. He checked his watch. It was now nine o'clock at night. _Time to get moving!_ He stood up, startling the two canines. "Sorry, guys." He took his truck keys out, and dashed to his vehicle. To his surprise, the two followed him. He got an idea. He took one of the blankets from his porch, and laid it in the backseat of his truck. He patted on the seat, and Copper leapt into the car.

Alex put his seat back upright, but was stopped when he saw Tod on the ground, with pleading eyes.

He sighed. "You wanna come too, Tod? Fine. Just don't make a mess of my car!"

Alex put his seat back down, but Tod was confused by the notion.

"Uh, Copper? What does he want?"

"Just climb in, Tod. But don't make a mess of things."

Tod jumped up, into the truck, and sat down right next to Copper.

The boy fixed the seat, slammed his door, and started the truck.

"Alright," said Alex, "let's get those kids back!"

* * *

On the road, Alex decided to roll the windows down for the fox and the hound. Tod stuck his head out the window, and stared into the darkness. There wasn't much to see on the interstate. Alex figured, that it would take about fifty minutes at his current speed.

 _I'm driving with a freaking fox in my truck! Thought Alex. I'm crazy. It's kind of weird how Tod is so tame though._

Tod was quiet most of the trip. Copper was noticably more nervous.

"Hey, Tod?"

"Yeah, pal?'

"Do you think we'll be able to save our kids?"

The fox turned to his friend. "Absolutely." He turned back to the window. The cold nightly air felt good against his face. He couldn't stand the silence anymore. "Hey, Copper?"

"Yeah, Tod?"

"I'm sorry about your daughter. I hope she's doing okay."

The hound smiled. "It's not your fault, Tod. Look, I know Cap didn't mean it, but she got hurt, and I'm very protective of my kids. She'll heal though. Are you worried about my son hurting yours?"

The fox sighed. "Nah, they'll make it up. We were the same way."

"I hope you're right Tod," said Copper, "but I don't want Scoot to hurt your Copper. I like the kid."

Tod didn't respond. He had too many things in his mind.

Copper still had one burning question to ask him though. "Tod, do you still consider us friends?"

Tod chuckled. _Now he's the one that still wants to be friends ehh..._ "It's complicated Copper. We don't hate each other, that is true. But, I don't believe we can be considered as 'friends', due to our troubled past. We had fun together as kids, but we didn't know how the world worked. We didn't know that you were supposed to hunt me down. I hurt Chief,.which really hurt you. You invaded my home, to enact revenge." The fox sighed. "It's not that I don't trust you, Copper. I just don't consider us as 'friends" anymore. I'm sorry to say, bud."

Copper was shocked. Now, Tod was the more careful one, the polar opposite of when they were younger. Still, the hound understood where the fox was coming from. "You know what, Tod?"

"What, Copper?"

"I still consider us as friends."

The fox giggled. "Sure ya do. Sure ya do... Ya know, it might have been better if we didn't meet again. Now, in a way, the past is repeating itself. Copper, you're my hero. Every day, I give thanks to the fact that you saved my life. That's why I named my son Copper. I felt like I owed it to you, and you would 'protect' him. It was a knee jerk reaction to losing my kids last year. I felt like the name would protect him, in a way. And now, all this crap happens." Tod frowned.

Copper put his paw on Tod's shoulder. "It'll be alright pal."

"Just don't try to kill me again!"

* * *

Alex arrived to the parking lot of the clinic. The "warehouse" which housed the pound was on the other side. Surprisingly, the exterior didn't seem to have any security cameras.

He got out of his car, and let the two animals out. "Don't you guys run away, please!"

He walked around the perimeter of the building, careful to avoid the security cameras. The two canines carefully followed him. When he got to the back door, he took out a pen and scratchpad from his pocket. _Time to crack this code..._

* * *

Amos heard his doorbell ring He groggingly walked across his kitchen, and opened the door. On the other side was his son, with a worried look.

"Why the long face?" Asked Amos.

Liam stuttered. "Alex and Copper are missing."

"What!?"

"I think he took him somewhere, as his truck is not in the driveway."

Liam sat down, while Amos paced back and forth. "When did you last see him?" Amos questioned.

"About two hours ago. He fell asleep against a tree with that fox and Copper in his lap."

"Did you get the fox?!"

"N- no I didn't want to disturb Alex. "Liam stuttered. "I decided to let them be."

Amos twirled the keys to his car in his hand. "How much you wanna bet he took that fox with him?"

"That's likely. I'm gonna go grab Buster."

"Good idea," said Amos. _That kid and those blasted foxes! He's supposed to be a hunter!_

 _A_ few minutes later, Amos, Liam and Buster were on the road, heading to the pound. What Amos didn't notice, was that Liam brought his revolver.

He concealed it in his pocket. _This is for that little fox 'friend' of Scoot's. No more roadblocks for our hunting dog!_


	28. Chapter 27: Girl's Night Out

III Chapter 27: Girl's Night Out

Shadow awoke again, for the third time this night. She groaned from the pain. Every movement sent it throughout her body. Her mother slept next to her for comfort.

The puppy's father and brother were missing, which kept her from easily falling asleep. The fact that her owners had gone too, didn't make her feel any better. She was almost fast asleep, when a familiar voice startled her awake.

"Hey!"

The puppy jumped up from her spot, searching around for what made the noise. Once her eyes adjusted, she saw who it was: the little white fox from yesterday.

"Shadow, I need to ask you something!-"

"Lily! Stay back! I didn't want to do this, as I am putting you in danger!" An older female voice said. A red fox appeared behind the younger one.

Shadow didn't want her fox friend to feel in danger. "Uhh, ma'am... I'm not going to hurt her! She's perfectly safe with me!"

The mother fox glared daggers at Shadow.

'Uh, mom, it's Cap's friend's sister, she won't hurt us." Lily assured.

The mother dog was now awoke too. She got up and confronted Vixey. "Uhh, can I help you?"

Vixey was a little nervous, she never spoke to a hunter's pet. "I'm looking... for my husband... and my son..."

This caught Daisy by surprise. "So- so am I..."

"You mean, both Coppers are gone?" Shadow inquisitively asked.

Daisy shot Shadow a confused look, so she explained. "Scoot's fox friend was named after dad."

Vixey wanted to leave, she worried about the hunters. "So, you haven't seen my family? I guess this was a waste of time." She glanced at Lily. "Come on Lily, let's go before the hunters come out."

But Lily stayed put. "Mom, the hunters aren't home! Can me and Shadow please play together?"

Vixey had a tough decision to make. Her son was allowed to play with his hound friend, so she'd be outed for favoritism if she didn't let her daughter play as well. Vixey sighed, then turned to Daisy. "Is that alright with you?"

Daisy turned to the two girls, who begged with pleading eyes. "It wouldn't be fair to Shadow if only Scoot got to play with a fox. I guess it wouldn't hurt for now." She turned to Vixey. "While they play, you and I can get to know each other. Don't cha think?"

"Uhh.. I." Vixey stumbled. "Sure, ehh why not! What could it hurt? Aha aha." She forced a fake smile. _Why the hell did I just agree to this?_

Daisy realized the trick. "You don't have to fake happiness darlin. I ain't gonna hurt you. Copper is friends with your husband, yes? I wouldn't intend to hurt their mate."

While the two mothers were talking, Lily and Shadow started to play.

"So, your name's Lily, huh? Makes sense, since the flower is white and orange, like you!"

The white fox smiled. "And your name is Shadow because your black as the night!"

"You're right, Lily! Hey, do you know what hunting dogs like to do in their downtime?"

"What?"

Shadow jumped on top of Lily, tackling her to the ground. "We like to play fight!"

The fox was a little worried. "Don't play too hard, ok?"

Shadow laughed. "I know you're fragile, girl! I've played with your brother too, ya know! I won't hurt you! Just try to get your teeth around my face, but don't bite!"

While the two girls were playing around, roughly, in the yard, the adults were sitting on the side, watching the young ones play, and held their own conversation.

"What's it like living out there, in the woods?" Daisy asked.

Vixey closed her eyes. "It's peaceful. You hear the birds chirping, the insects buzzing, the trees swaying. The land around you is beautiful. There's rivers, lakes, streams, caves. It's a lot different than out here. Why do you ask?"

Daisy recollected her past. "I'm from the city. There, everything is loud and obnoxious. No wildlife, no vistas, just concrete from the ground up. Living here is like a mix between the two."

The hound smiled. "And that's my past, pretty much. I moved here with the hunter's son, and that's when I met Copper. What about you? What's your past?"

Vixey closed her eyes. "A foxes life can be a living hell. Especially out here. The second you are born, you have to worry about the hunt. Every single day. My parents were shot dead, and I was all alone for the next month of my life. That was when an owl found me. Her name was big Mama. She took care of me, and made sure my surroundings were safe. She led me to a game reserve, where hunting wasn't allowed. Many months later, I met Tod." Vixey paused. "And I met your husband too, though that was when he was trying to kill us. I'm sure you know about that."

Daisy nodded. "I understand our husband's odd relationship, yes. Predator and prey, they were set up from the start. Any more you want to add?"

"Yes." Vixey said. "I lost my first kids to hunters last year. We were irresponsible first parents. We almost got ourselves killed too. Now, we have our Lily and Copper. I didn't like his name at first, but I think it fits him now, more than ever."

Daisy sighed. "I had a litter of six. Scoot was the runt." She paused. "My master wanted to kill him, but his grandson wouldn't let him, so he gave Scoot to him. Alex saved my son. He saved your husband a couple times too. I don't think we have to worry about the issues of the past."

Daisy leaned toward Vixey. " _He's going to save our sons right now. He took your husband too. Our sons were accused of biting the jerk next door. They were taken to the city to be exterminated."_

 _Vix_ ey was shocked. "You mean, they're going to kill them?"

"They aren't going to. You just gotta have faith, darlin."

The two mothers watched, as their daughters played in the yard, breaking the rules that man had enforced on them.


	29. Chapter 28: At Death's Door

III Chapter 28: At Death's Door

Cap awoke to the sound of the large metal door opening. A man walked through, wearing gloves, and a suit. He unlatched the door to Cap's cage, and grabbed him by the neck.

Cap was silent. He didn't even make a fuss. He had given up. As he was carried away, he saw his friend sleeping in his cell, unconscious of the world around him.

The man loosened up his grip, and held Cap with two hands. The kit watched, as the large metal door closed behind him, and he was bathed in the light, of the brightly lit corridor.

Cap noticed it was quite a long walk to his final resting place.

The man holding him looked down at Cap, and felt sorry for the fox. They past a couple signs, Cap couldn't read them, but he noticed that some had familiar writing. He didn't see a single window. At long last, he saw the table he was going to be laid upon, before he would be subjected to eternal sleep. As he looked behind the man, however, something grabbed his attention: there was a floor vent that had no plate attached to it.

It wasn't even Cap's will to live, it was just survival instinct. He made sure to stay calm, so that the man didn't tightened his grip, preventing his escape. _This is my only chance._

Without warning, he pushed his legs against the man, and launched toward the floor.

"Hey!" The man cried out. "Get back here!"

The vent was still a couple yards away, so Cap had to book it!

The man realized what the fox was trying to do. He ran in front of him, attempting to stop Cap, but the kit dodged around to the right of the man. The fox took one final leap into the vent, and scurried far into it, where he could not longer be seen.

* * *

Cap searched the vents, for what seemed like hours. He, however, couldn't find where his hound 'friend' was! After more searching, he finally found a vent that overlooked the warehouse style area. He could see the red tag on the cell, and knew it belonged to Scoot.

As this was Cap's lucky day, the vent was only held by one loose screw! He loosened it, and kicked the vent, which sent it careening to the floor. The sound of it hitting the floor echoed in the room, waking up the other animals.

Cap scaled down the cages, before dropping to the floor, and heading towards Scoot's prison. Since, the cages we're easily unlocked from the outside, Cap simply swiped his finger across the lever, releasing the door of the cage

Scoot awoke to the sound of his door opening.

"Come on, let's go!" Cap ordered.

"Scoot!"

"Come on, pal!"

For Scoot everything went out. He could no longer hear. He could no longer see. Anything, but Cap. _I've got you know, you pest! How foolish of you to save me, because now, it will be. Your. END._

Scoot jumped onto Cap. The fox struggled to move, as Scoot dug his nails across Cap's back, causing him to bleed.

"Buster killing you would have been a lot less painful."


	30. Chapter 29: Friends Forever

III Chapter 29: Friends Forever

Cap's back burned. But nothing hurt worse than his friend's betrayal.

Scoot held his friend, from long ago, down. "I'm a hunting dog, Cap. I hurt animals. Why can't you see this was.a bad idea!?"

Cap whimpered. "You never... _Tried_... To... Hurt... Me..."

Scoot growled. "That was before you cut my sister up." He pressed down on Cap's bad leg.

Cap didn't scream from the pain. He had to escape somehow. "I'm not going to give you the satisfaction of causing me pain, Scoot. It's not what friends do."

Scoot leapt off of Cap, which allowed the fox to run away, towards the vent he opened in the wall. As Cap was scaling the crates back to the vent, the rage was building up inside of Scoot.

 **"I. AM. NOT. YOUR. FRIEND!"** Scoot screamed, as he climbed the crates to attack his enemy.

* * *

Cap raced through the vents as fast as he could, going down different directions to confuse Scoot. To his horror, the hound stayed right on his tail. Cap started to Tucker out from all the running. Scoot noticed. "Eventually you won't be able to run anymore, Cap. A shame, I'd rather fight you when you are at your best, but we all can't get what we want, now CAN WE!?"

Cap continued to run away, through the vents, until he came to a dead end: a drop that lead to the basement of the building. It was sure to be fatal to anything the size of a puppy.

Cap frowned at Scoot. "Looks like this is it." The fox panted. "There's no where for me to run, Scoot. Come. Get. Me."

Blinded by his rage, Scoot jumped on top of Cap, but was flung, into the direction of the abyss. Scoot grabbed onto the ledge with all his life. _He tricked me! What are we doing? What am I doing? We're just kids! I tried to kill my best friend? What is wrong with me?_

Scoot slipped further down. _Everything is wrong with me! I shouldn't exist! I'm a mistake... I'm a mistake... Alex should have let Amos kill me. I'll never amount to anything! I'll never be the best hunting dog! I was lying to myself! Just to make me feel better. I hurt the ones who care about me the most. Cap never tried to kill Shadow! I was stupid. And my stupid should not be allowed in this world..._

Scoot barely held on to the edge of the vent. _Cap doesn't deserve a friend like me. He saved me from drowning in a mud puddle, how pathetic am I? He never gave up on me, even though I treated him like shit. I deserve this. I can't hurt him anymore..._

Scoot let go of the vent. Cap tilted his head. He couldn't watch his friend die. He wasn't going to watch his friend die.

As Scoot was ready to embrace the fall, he closed his eyes. He felt a force keeping him in the air. He opened his eyes and looked up. Cap grabbed onto his paw with his teeth. The fox extended his other paw towards him.

"Bite down on my leg!" Cap murmured.

Frightened, Scoot latched onto Cap's paw, tasting blood.

Cap mustered all his strength, and threw Scoot over, and behind him.

Scoot landed with a thud, but he wasn't injured. He stared at his friend, who stared right back. The fox was exhausted, and was bleeding from his back, and both paws.

They held their gaze for a while.

Scoot whimpered. "I'm.. sorry.. Cap." He could only cry. "Why did you save me?"

The kit could only whisper. He smiled. "Doesn't matter. I got my friend back."

Scoot couldn't help but smile. He leapt on top of Cap, and embraced him in a hug. Cap wrapped his front legs around him.

Scoot got off of Cap, all covered in blood. He didn't care though, he had to prevent his friend from dying. He needed to find water. He hoisted the barely conscious fox on his back, as he was lighter.

* * *

After searching for a while, Scoot came to the vent that Cap originally snuck through. It still wasn't covered. Scoot noticed a water cooler next to it. _Bingo._

Scoot propped his friend against the cooler, while he jumped on to the blue switch, causing water to spill over onto the floor.

Scoot jumped down, and woke his barely conscious friend up. "No dying on me! Drink!"

Cap hesitated, but he was able to place his head on the floor, and lap up whatever he could. It was a pretty big puddle, but both Scoot and Cap were able to finish it.

Eventually, Cap was able to walk again, and they both walked back through the vents, to where they could see the warehouse room. They both sat down, next to each other.

"Cap..." Scoot stuttered. "There's something you should know about me."

"What would that be?" The fox replied.

"Cap, I was the runt of my siblings. My mom had six in her litter. Four of them got sold, and Amos kept Shadow. The only reason I exist is because Alex begged Amos to let him train me as his own. If it wasn't for him, I would... Have been shot dead."

Scoot paused. The tears started rolling again. "I'm a mistake!" He cried. "I shouldn't be alive. I hurt you, Cap. I hurt my best friend, because I'm an idiot."

Cap reflected over his friend's words. "No, you aren't."

"What!?"

"You aren't a mistake, Scoot. You see, Because of you, I had someone to play with, when my friends were gone. Because of you, our parents got back together. Because of you, Alex has someone he truly cares about."

Cap smiled. "But, Scoot, most importantly, because of you, I have a best friend."

The puppy cried. "You're right, Cap. You're right."

 _Scoot remembered what he said, months ago, before he met Cap._

 _"I… I… I"—Scoot started to cry again—"I want a friend."_

 _This took the other hounds by surprise. "What do… you mean by a f… friend?", curiously asked Chief._

 _Scoot proudly continued, "Easy. Someone to play with. Someone to run around with. Someone who doesn't care who I am or think I should be. A friend who will understand my problems, and in return I understand theirs. Someone I can count on, to help me in my time of need. In return, I help them. When I'm lonely or sad, that friend would be there to cheer me up!" Scoot paused for a second, then finished his rambling, "and THAT is the kind of friend I wish for."_

 _Copper was shocked. Surely, his son was having a problem with his loneliness. His rant however, made him feel a little uneasy. Finally, copper spoke, "be careful what you wish for son. A friend that perfect would come with other complications."_

Scoot sighed. "Copper, you're all I ever wanted as a friend. You are literally the perfect friend. Thanks for cheering me up..."

Cap giggled. "No problem, buddy."

It was as if everything would be fine now. The night couldn't possibly get any worse.


	31. Chapter 30: Change of Heart

III Chapter 30: A Change of Heart

Alex had been writing on his small piece of paper, for a long time. He had to keep erasing his previous steps. At long last, he figured out the code for the following day, he had to wait till midnight though.

The two animals he brought with were getting impatient.

* * *

"So, he went to the pound, eh?" Chuckled Amos. "What makes him think he'll be able to save his puppy?"

"I don't know pops, but why do you think he brought Copper?"

"Beats me. Maybe he could find Scoot more easily?"

The hound in the backseat stared out the window. _I'm coming for you, Cap. If you happen to escape being euthanized, I will have to take matters in to my own paws._

* * *

Scoot and Cap searched for an exit. They didn't find one, but they did, however, find another giant room full of cages! This one also had a large security door. Luckily for them, no one was in the building after midnight. The two of them decided to split up.

"Hey, Scoot, look," Cap panted. "We'd have much more luck if we each took a side of the building. I'll go left, you go right!"

"Sounds good, Cap! We'll meet in the middle then!"

* * *

Cap walked all the way down the hall. He then found another large room with cages, but it was empty. There was no door though. He didn't know it, but there were actually four rooms were animals were to be caged, in the shape of a square. Only one was being utilized though. The hallway he was in surrounded the perimeter of the rooms. _This place is confusing,_ he thought.

* * *

Alex typed in the code he wrote, into the panel on the door. When the door swung open, he moved a rock to keep the door propped open, because the door being opened from the inside would trigger an alarm.

 _Alright, now to figure out where my dog is being held in this labyrinth._

The two animals he brought were conspiring.

"We should split up to find our kids!" Tod said.

"Good idea," replied Copper.

As the two ran in separate directions down the hallway, Alex could be heard shouting. "What did I say about running away!?"

* * *

Tod ran as fast as he could, down the hallway. He checked every room he could find, but still nothing. As he turned the corner however, he bumped into someone.

"Hey! What's the big ide-," Tod paused.

Whom he ran into, was a white and brown spotted puppy.

"Tod!?" The young hound asked.

"Hey kid!" Tod exclaimed. "What cha doing all alone?"

"Me and Cap split up to find an exit. This place is huge, and I can't find him now. I don't even know where we started! Every hallway looks the same!"

"Chill out, kid! We'll find our way back!"

* * *

Copper also happened to bump into someone, far away from the other two.

The kit was ecstatic. "Copper! How did you get here?"

"Long story, kid. But, we need to meet up with your dad now!"

"What!? He's here too?!"

"Yeah, and so is Alex. Now, come on!"

* * *

"Damnit the hell!" Alex shouted. "Those damn animals are lost now, because of me!"

He decided to walk outside for a minute, when he saw his grandfather's van. _Shit, what are they doing here?_

He saw his dad, Amos, and his heart sank when he saw the third occupant. _They brought that dumb dog too?!_

The van parked close by. Amos was the first to get out. "Boy, do you have some splainin' to do! Where's my dog!?"

Alex stumbled. "I brought him and Tod and they ran away insi-"

"YOU BROUGHT THAT FLIPPING VERMIN TOO? WHAT'S WRONG WITH YOU?"

Alex screamed at his grandfather. "Well maybe I care about BOTH the pups that got captured. Recall, that Cap did nothing wrong, and Tod was the one that showed me Jake was lying!"

Alex turned to his father, who was getting Buster out of the van. "You brought him here to kill the foxes... didn't you?"

Liam smiled. "We'll see what happens."

"I won't let you kill them!" Alex declared.

Liam walked into the pound, and turned back to Alex. "We'll see what happens."

Alex was cross with his father, and walked away from him, down the hallway. Liam walked straight into the large room.

He found Cap's hat, in one of the cages nearby. "Seems like they did escape somehow!"

He held the hat, just low enough for Buster to sniff it. "Go get 'em boy!"

The hound ran off, toward the hallway.

* * *

Tod and Scoot ran through the facility, hoping to find their friends. As they turned the corner, they saw someone on the other side.

Scoot growled. "Bus-,ter!"

The dark hound ran toward the two of them, but stopped a few yards away. "Hello, gentleman! I see you're not dead, yet, Tod!"

The fox glared at him. "I see you have also found a way to get here?"

"Bwahaha! My owner is here too, Tod! So is Amos! When they find your son, he will be TORN APART!" Buster's last two words echoed through the halls.

Tod growled at Buster. "I'll stop you!"

The hound walked to a panel on the wall, and laughed. "This is my home, Tod. Unlike you, I know where everything is. You're outmatched." He rammed into the panel on the wall, causing the door between them to descend, and lock shut. _Tick tock, little fox._

* * *

"What's that sound?!" Questioned Cap.

"I don't know!" Copper said. "Run!"

As they dashed down the hallway, Cap was unable to proceed any further, as the door between him and Copper closed.

"I'm scared Copper!" Cap shouted through the glass of the door!

"Find some other way around!" Copper mumbled. "There might be one!"

Cap frantically searched for any exit, when to his surprise, the door to one of the large empty rooms was opened. He ran into it, trying to see if there were any exits open. No such luck. He froze when he heard a voice coming from the doorway.

"Baited like a fish on a hook!" Buster hissed. "I knew you'd fall for the dead end!"

Cap growled. "What are you doing here!?"

Buster just laughed it off. "I'm here to kill you." He walked toward Cap, noticing the dry blood on his fur. "My, my, Scoot really did a number on ya. I'm guessing he figured out that I'M the one who hurt Shadow, judging by the fact that YOU are still alive!" He cornered Cap.

The hound smiled. "I've known your father all his life, Cap. I remember when he evaded me, that one day."

Cap was horrified. "Wait, what?"

The hound chuckled. "His mother carried him, whilst running away from me, and my old owner, Sloth. I guess your dad will never know the truth."

Busted leaned in toward Cap. "I killed Tod's mother!"

Cap jumped at Buster, latching onto his back with his teeth.

"Hahahaha! You think your little baby teeth hurt, young man?" He flung Cap against the wall."You don't stand a chance." He picked Cap up by the scruff of his neck, and threw him in the center of the floor. "If you were wise Cap, you'd let me end your suffering."

"What... Suffering" Cap gasped.

The hound laughed. "Your life was over the moment it began! Even if you didn't meet Scoot, you would still be found in the forest, along with your family! Say, maybe I can kill your sister when I return!"

Cap growled, and launched himself at Buster, but the hound just threw him back on the ground. "Stop trying, you're embarrassing yourself!"

Buster bit down on Cap's injured paw, causing the kit to scream.

"I guess you won't be running away now, you hear?"

Cap wheezed. "You... murderer..."

Buster chuckled. "It's not murder if it's nature Cap. Survival of the fittest, obviously not YOU." He swiped his nails across Cap's cheek, but he held his mouth shut so he couldn't scream.

Buster treated the fox, like he was a chew toy. Every attack, Cap could only whisper in pain, as he was slowly being destroyed.

The fox was bleeding heavily, from his back, face, and legs.

Cap could only whisper. "Why are you... doing this to me?"

Something inside Buster snapped.

 _It sounds so familiar... Where have I heard that before._

 _..._

 _No, my friend! I couldn't save her! There was no other choice! She was going to die either way... i did what was best for her..._

 _..._

A growl from the hallway interrupted Buster's daze.

"Scoot?"

The puppy bore his fangs. "What. Do you THINK you are doing!"

"Scoot, you know you can't-"

"Get away from my friend!" Scoot inched closer toward Buster.

"Scoot you can't be friends! He's a fox. And you are a hound. You are supposed to kill him! He is a FOX and you are a HOUND!"

Scoot got between Buster and Cap, the envy burning through eyes. "I don't CARE what HE is!" The puppy snarled. "He's my friend! And I'm NOT letting you hurt him any longer!"

Enraged, Scoot bit and clawed Buster. The hound didn't even try to stop him. After a while, Buster was also bleeding heavily, but no where near as bad as Cap.

Buster whispered something, but it was inaudible.

"What?" Scoot asked.

"Spend time with your f- friend." Buster stuttered. "He only has a f- few moments left."

Scoot turned to face his friend, who was weakened by his loss of blood. Cap could barely move.

"Cap?" Scoot whispered.

"Scoot."

"I want you to know that your my very best friend. Nothing will ever change that."

In his pain, the kit was able to smile. "And your mine, Scoot."

Cap was ready to perish, he had no will left to live. He thought he would never be able to live a normal life.

As Cap slowly closed his eyes, the clicking of a gun forced them wide open.

The fox stared in horror, as Liam loaded his revolver, and held it pointed at him.

Scoot saw that Tod, Copper, Alex and Amos were huddled in the doorway.

"Dad?" Alex whimpered.

"No!" Scoot jumped in front of his friend, his front paw wrapped around him.

Liam ordered Scoot to move. "Out of the way, pup! That fox will NOT ruin your hunting performance!"

But Scoot stayed loyal to his friend.

"Scoot?" Cap whimpered. "Let him kill me, please. I can't take the pain."

Scoot started to cry. "Copper... No! I won't let you go! He's not going to take your hide! I'm not letting anyone touch you Copper... You're- like- a- brother to me!" The puppy put his paw on the ground, next to his friend, shielding him from any projectiles.

Amos noticed the adult fox with Copper, noticing how Copper didn't seem to mind the company. He'd deal with Tod later; he wanted to see how his son would deal with the young one.

Liam didn't know how to proceed. He noticed his hound, all beat up on the side of the room. The combination of alcohol and rage was about to burst. "You nearly killed my dog, because he nearly killed that pest" He raised the gun at Scoot.

"Dad! No!" Alex screamed.

But Liam ignored him. "You aren't a hunting dog, Scoot! You're a traitor!"

He put his finger on the trigger. "And treason warrants death!"

"No!" Alex screamed.

Copper, Amos and Alex turned away, as the sound of a bullet rang out against the metal walls of the building.

Scoot waited for the pain, but it never came. He opened his eyes, and saw who took the fall.

 **It was Tod!**

The adult fox shivered in pain. He was bleeding from his side, near his right front leg.

Liam noticed his work. To him, he didn't feel accomplished. He felt nauseated. Only then, did he realize his mistake. He grabbed Buster, dropped his revolver on the floor, snatched the car keys from Amos' hand, and left.

Amos understood everything now. He understood the relationship his hound had with the fox. Alex was telling the truth all along. He stared at Tod, for a while. He didn't even notice that his grandson ran down to the clinic to steal cloth and towels.

The retired Hunter noticed that his dog was mourning his friend. The fox was breathing slowly. His eyes opened wide when he saw Amos kneel down before him, but the old man patted his head. "Shhhhhhhh... everything will be alright."

Alex returned with supplies, exhausted from his run. He wrapped the baby fox up, putting pressure on his back to prevent anymore blood loss. The boy picked the kit up and cradled him in his arms.

Amos reached over to grab the revolver, and pointed it at Tod. "Should I end his suffering Alex? Or does killing him just prove that I'm the monster...?"

Alex balanced Cap to one arm, and lowered his grandfather's gun with the other. "Please, no more."

Amos understood. He checked where the bullet entered Tod's body. To his surprise, it didn't get far. It was lodged in the foxes shoulder.

Alex gave Cap to his grandfather, he didn't question it.

He took a pair of tweezers from his pile of supplies, and fished the bullet out of Tod's skin. He flung it out the door.

"Grandpa, keep an eye on him, while I patch the little guy up!"

"Okay... Alex."

As Alex was treating Cap's wounds, Copper laid down next to Tod. "You're insane!"

Tod whimpered, "I wasn't going to let him kill your kid."

"It'll be okay, Tod! I question why you would have loyalty to us..."

The fox closed his eyes. "Copper, you're my very best friend."

"You're mine too, Tod."

"And we'll always be friends forever, won't we?"

"Yeah, forever!" The hound happily replied. He began to worry though, when his friend didn't speak again. He nudged the fox awake. "You're not dying on me Tod! I know it hurts, but you're son's in worse shape! Stay with me pal!"

"Copper... All my life, this guy has non-stop tried to end my life. And now he's not. Do you know how freaked out I am right now?" Tod stuttered.

Copper put his paw on his friends shoulder. "Just chill out, pal."

Cap was all bandaged up, so he wasn't bleeding as much.

Alex was ready to leave, the kit in his arms, and the pup at his feet. He looked down at his grandfather and the fox. "You can carry Tod." He gave Amos a couple towels. "Put him in the back seat."

Amos gave Alex a confused look, but he silently did what he was told.

Tod was compliant as he was carried through the building and put into the truck.

Alex removed the rock, and slammed the pound door shut. He laid Cap gently down in the backseat of his truck, and moved to the front.

The two foxes, the two hounds, and the two hunters were now on their way back to the farm. Things would surely be interesting from here on out.

* * *

Scoot nudged Tod, who was sleeping.

"Hey kid, whaddaya want?"

"Dad told me you can't sleep, so I'm making sure you don't!"

The fox chuckled. "I'm fine, kid." He leaned over to where his son was looking out the window. ",You should worry more about your friend.

"Tod?"

"Yes, Scoot?"

"I'm sorry for almost killing Copper. I didn't know what took control of me! All I could think about was revenge and I-"

"Shhhhhhhh!" Tod interrupted. "It's ok. I knew you guys would come to your senses."

"Uhmm... I guess."

"Look," Tod sternly said, "You're a good kid, Scoot. I wish you luck on your future endeavors as a hunting dog."

"Oh, thanks, To-"

"You didn't let me finish." Tod interrupted. "Look, the point is, when you come back from your hunts, remember who your friends are. Copper's told me that the taste of fox blood is addicting, and I don't want to see my son torn apart by someone he used to be best buds with."

Scoot retorted. "Actually, Tod. Scoot saved me from a fall and told me to bite his paw to help me up. I didn't like the taste of his blood! It felt wrong!"

Tod was a little dismayed. "It's in your nature, kid. Don't let me stop you. Just... Don't hurt him again... he means everything to me."

Scoot nuzzled against Tod. "I won't hurt him again. I promise." The two of them drifted off to sleep.

* * *

Cap was watching the lights go by, outside. They were traveling pretty fast down the highway. He was up against the window, which was slightly rolled down. He heard a voice behind him.

"You should be careful."

It was Copper!

"Hey Copper!" Cap whimpered. "I'm feeling a little better, but my back feels like it's on fire!" He laughed.

But Copper didn't find it amusing. "We should have a little chat, you know, Copper to Copper."

The fox lowered himself from the ledge of the door, and have his full attention to Copper. "Go on."

Copper sighed. "You and Scoot... seem to be friends again? Heck! He was crying when he almost lost you."

Cap wanted to bring up something else. "Copper, Scoot told me about Alex saving him from being shot. He thinks he's a mistake. I told him how he made life better for all of us though. I'm just worried, when Scoot comes back a hunting dog, will he try to kill me again? You and my dad didn't seem to get along after that..."

Copper laughed. "I knew your father for a week, Cap. You've known my son for MONTHS! You're friendship is much more stable than ours. I wouldn't worry about it. Heck, I'm the top hunting dog in the state, but I'm not trying to kill you right now am I?"

"I guess your right, Copper." Cap breathed a sigh of relief, and went back to looking out the window. "I'm a pretty lucky fox to have the opportunity to do this!" He felt the cool breeze against his face.

Copper chuckled. "Yes you are, Copper! Yes, you are..."

END OF PART III

* * *

A/N: To all those who have made it this far, thank you very much! Sadly, the story is coming to an end soon, but nothing lasts forever!

What is Buster hiding about his past?

Will Liam ever except Cap and Scoot's friendship?

What will happen to the two friends when they grow up?

Find out, in the final section of the Fox and the Hunter!


	32. Chapter 31: Cease-fire

Part IV: The Fire

Chapter 31: Cease-fire

When Alex and Amos arrived home, the kit and puppy were eager to get out. Alex stopped by the Widow's house, carrying Cap in his arms. It would take a while for the fox to heal.

Alex rang the doorbell, and Tweed immediately opened her door.

She noticed the fox in Alex's arms. "Uh, good morning, Alex. What brings you here?"

Alex looked down at the fox in his arms. "This little guy needs someone to take care of him. My dad's hound did quite the work."

Tweed was confused. "What makes you think I can help that thing get better?"

Alex leveled his eyes with the Widow, and smiled. "You raised his father, I think you in what you're doing!"

Still, Tweed couldn't understand. "Why don't you help it?"

Alex sighed. "I gotta watch over it's father. Copper here needs to be in safety, away from the hounds for a couple days." He reached Cap out, towards Widow.

Widow grabbed the fox, and coddled him in her arms. "My, aren't you cute little Copper! You remind me of someone..."

Alex smirked. "He reminds you of Tod, doesn't he?"

Widow gasped. "This is Tod's son? Oh my! Where is he now?"

"He saved my puppy today, so I wanna make sure he's alright. My dad shot him in the shoulder."

Widow frowned. "And your grandfather is okay with you doing this?"

Alex said, "Ms. Tweed, my grandfather is alright with me helping Tod. He allowed me to take him back home in my car. I don't think he'll hurt him."

The kit turned over and tried to paw Widow's face.

"I think he likes you," said Alex, "I think you guys will get along just fine!"

Alex heard his grandfather calling him from the van. "I gotta go! Take care of little Copper!"

As Alex drove off, Widow closes the door, and placed Cap on the floor. The kit limped to the kitchen.

"Are you hungry?" The old lady asked. "I'll get you something special!"

As Widow cooked breakfast, for her and Cap, the fox patiently waited on the floor.

She glanced down at the fox, and smiled. _You're well behaved! Just like your dad... shame what happened to him though. I do find it strange that Amos hasn't hunted you guys down, but I know that old goon isn't completely cold-hearted!_

Widow dropped what she was cooking on the floor, for Cap. The kit was filled with joy, as he tasted what it was. _Bacon!_

* * *

When Amos arrived at home with Alex, he was shocked to see a white kit sleeping next to his black puppy. He turned to Alex. "That kit is beautiful!"

Alex knew what his grandfather was thinking. "Don't you _think_ about killing it for your collection! It's probably Tod's kit, for all we know."

Amos groaned. "Does it really matter, Alex?"

"Yes, it does matter! Maybe Shadow enjoys the company of that fox, you don't know!"

Amos grumbled, but didn't say a word. He had to deal with the injured fox in his arms.

He opened the back door to his barn, and laid Tod down on a Pile of hay. He then shut the door, and left.

Tod turned over on his side, as pain shot up from his shoulder. This was the most comfortable he could make himself. He almost fell asleep, when he was shook back awake.

"Well, well, well."

Tod raised his head and saw who his assailant was. It was Chief!

The hound was inches away from Tod. "Now you know how it feels when you can't move your leg!"

He shouted at Tod. "Because that's how _I've_ felt, for the past couple of years, all because of _you!"_

Tod sighed. "Chief, look, I'm sorry for causing you to get hit by a train. I never intended you to get hurt, I was just scared! Do whatever you want to me, but please don't take your anger out on my family... Please!"

The hound took a step back and reconciled. He sighed. "I'm not going to hurt your kid, Tod. It would make Scoot mad at me, and our relationship is already Rocky."

Tod gave Chief a sarcastic look. "Really? You aren't going to hunt my kid?"

Chief walked over to the barn window and put his head down. "I'm retired Tod. I'm not a hunting dog anymore. It was inevitable. I would say you sped up that process, but even when I was training Copper, I fell behind. Two years later really makes an impact on things."

The fox sighed. "I get where your coming from, Chief, I totally do. But you haven't exactly been kind to me in the past."

Chief glared at Tod. "Because you're a fox, Tod. I've killed your kind in the past. But now, I'm told to hold back on my instincts. The longer I've been out of service, the easier it becomes. You teach that kit of yours to stay away from Amos' chickens, you shouldn't have a problem."

"What do you mean no problem? Amos is reluctantly helping me, because of his grandson."

Chief chuckled. "That may be true, but I heard what you did, Tod. You saved my nephew today. I respect you for that. So, I'm allowing you to rest peacefully, till your better. Once that happens, I'll be more aggressive towards you 'pests'.

Tod cracked a smile. "I guess you're not too bad, Ol' Chief."

Chief smiled. "This is merely a Cease-fire, Tod. Learn your boundaries. You may not believe this, but as a friend of Copper, I do not want to see you get shot." Chief walked out of the room.

The fox lay his head down on the hay, and drifted off to sleep.

* * *

Alex and Amos sat down on the back porch, watching the white fox play with Shadow.

Alex noticed that the kit seemed to have more energy than Cap, but she wasn't as quick. He saw Vixey next to Daisy, which were also watching their children. "Hey Grandpa, what do you think of those two over there. That must be the mother, right?"

Amos glanced over, and saw what Alex was talking about. He sighed. "I remember that fox from the reserve, that's Tod's mate alright. But I'll tell you one thing, Alex."

"What's that grandpa?"

"You were right about Copper and Tod. I didn't believe it at first, but when Tod protected Scoot from your father, I knew something was up. Copper was crying when Tod was bleeding out. Turns out the friendship bullshit is true."

Alex grinned. "So you aren't gonna hunt these foxes anymore, right?"

Amos smirked. "I'll tell you what, Alex. As long as those foxes stay away from my chickens, I won't shoot 'em."

Alex smiled. "That's good enough for me!"


	33. Chapter 32: Trapped in a Nightmare

**IV** Chapter 32: Trapped in a Nightmare

The door to the barn opened. Tod's leg was sore, and he couldn't move. He watched as a shadowy figure approached him.

It was Amos, who had something in his hand.

The old man dropped to one knee, and spoke softly. "I understand Alex wants me to keep you alive, but I'm a hunter and you've been my biggest problem."

Tod heard a clicking sound, and he figured out what Amos was holding in his hands.

Amos shoved the shotgun into Tod's stomach. The fox was immobilized.

The Hunter patted Tod. "All I ever wanted was your coat, you VERMIN! It took two years for me to achieve this. Good riddance, pest!"

The sound of a gunshot rang out.

* * *

Tod awoke, completely freaked out. He looked around the barn, frantically trying to find an exit. Luckily, the main door was open. He charged outside as fast as he could, but stumbled and fell when his leg failed to move.

It was now daytime.

Alex walked over to the frenzied fox. Tod tried to get away, but he was stuck in a bush! Instead, he whined and shook, completely afraid of the two hunters.

Copper noticed his troubled friend and ran across the yard to his side. "Tod, what's gotten into you?"

The fox stuttered. "I can't stay here, Copper! They're going to kill me! Amos wants my hide, you know that!"

The hound giggled. "Tod, you had a Nightmare, didn't you?"

Tod whimpered. "Yes."

"Amos isn't going to hurt you! Do you understand how much Alex cares about you and Cap? He wouldn't do that to his grandson."

Tod sighed. "I guess you're right, Copper. I really need to chill."

Alex picked Tod up from the bush and laid him back down on the grass. He patted his head, and walked back to his grandfather.

The fox and the hound didn't notice that Buster was walking toward them.

When he arrived, Copper growled, but Buster brushed it off.

"I'm not going to kill you Tod," Buster said. "I just want to talk."

Copper growled and inched toward him. "You aren't going NEAR him!"

"Copper, Tod needs to know the truth!"

Buster leapt over Copper, and rammed into Tod. Now, Alex was watching closely, from a distance. Copper sat between Tod and the black hound.

Tod groaned. "You almost killed my son, yesterday! Why should I trust you?"

Buster sighed. "He said something an old friend of mine once said, and it came back to haunt me."

"Go on..." Said Tod.

"There's two parts, Tod. I want your son to be here the longer part, but you need to know something."

Tod rolled his eyes. "Why does he need to be here?"

"Because, Tod. Scoot and little Copper need to know my story. It requires _all_ of you."

"So, what's this small part?" Questioned Tod.

Buster recalled his past. _"One day, me and my hunter Sloth were hunting in this here forest. We came upon a field. There was a fox, carrying her kit in her mouth. My hunter gave chase. I had no choice but to follow. Eventually, the mother dropped her child off far from harm, and came back to throw the trail off her offspring. **You."**_

Tod had conflicted thoughts running through his mind. "Wait a minute..."

"That Owl saved you, Tod."

Tod connected all the pieces together. " **You killed my mother!"**

He attempted to charge at Buster, but Copper held him down.

Tod was enraged. "He's a murderer, Copper! Let me get him!"

Copper lectured his friend. "We are supposed to kill you game animals, Tod. It happ-"

"No!" Buster interrupted. "I am a murderer!" The black hound started crying.

Tod mocked, "What's wrong with you?"

Buster walked away, and replied. "Gather your families. Tonight, you will understand everything."

Tod turned to his friend. "Did you... know about this?"

Copper shook his head. "No, Tod! He never told me anything!"

Tod looked off into the distance. "He did seem pretty upset."

* * *

Cap scratched at the door. He wanted to go outside! The Widow frowned. "You do seem to be acting like you're better, but you don't look like you're better!"

Cap whined.

The Widow sighed. "Alright! I'll let you out, and I'll go over to Amos' for his bonfire. Remember, I'm keeping an eye on you!"

The second the Widow opened her backdoor, a white and brown spotted puppy careened into Cap, then started licking his face.

"Oh my!" Said the window. "I'm shocked to see that Alex's hunting dog is getting along with you!"

She walked across the yard, to Amos house.

The old man greeted her. "Howdy, Tweed! How's that little critter doing?

Widow glared at him. "You better not be thinking of harming this little one! Why the sudden change of heart?"

Amos giggled. "It's a long story!" I'll fill you in tonight. For now, I'm cooking some burgers if you want one!"

Widow smiled. "That's awfully nice of you, Amos, I'd be delighted to!"

* * *

Cap limped with Scoot, to the side of the house. A hound was waiting for them.

"Buster?!" Scoot shouted. "You better leave him alon-"

Scoot and Cap noticed the hound was in tears.

"Aww, did the big mean hound get hurt?" Cap teased.

Buster gazed at him. _They have the same eyes. The resemblance is uncanny._ "I want both of your families by the bush tonight. You need to hear my story. No, I'm not going to attack you Cap. You remind me of someone I once knew."

"Aww, that's so flattering!" Cap mocked. "Why should I trust you?"

The older hound turned away from them. He started crying again. "You... _Can't_ ".

He then turned to Scoot. "Your girlfriend has the same name as _her._ "

"Who?" Inquired Scoot.

But the hound just walked away.

* * *

It was now evening, the bonfire was set, and the foxes and hounds were gathered near the bush, waiting for Buster's story. Everyone was there: Tod, Vixey, Cap, Lily, Copper, Daisy, Scoot, Shadow, and Buster.

Liam was farthest from the group, Alex would not allow him near them.

All three hunters were quite surprised that all of the animals were near each other, though. Alex was shocked to see that even Buster wasn't causing problems.

Tod tapped his paw on the ground. "So, what are we waiting for?"

Buster closed his eyes. " _Everyone has a story. This is mine"._


	34. Chapter 33: Annie

Chapter 33: Ann

* * *

Buster continued. "I was born, far from here. I do not remember who my parents were. I do remember when I was taken from my home, however. A hunter bought me, his name was Sam Aloth. Call him 'Sloth'.

I've only told Tod this, but I am the one who _murdered_ his mother. Yes, I said it was _murder._ Sam had other hound dogs, who I will refuse to name. They _hated_ me. I'm not sure why. It could have been because I was younger than them, and less experienced. I did eavesdrop on them a couple times though. One conversation stood out in particular:

 _Hey, did you hear that some little girl lost their pet fox in the forest?_

 _No way, dude! That's like a free kill!_

I became enraged. Who could be so heartless to kill someone's pet? I told them off. _It may be a fox, but it belongs to someone, why would you kill it?!_

They mocked me. _Buster, Buster, ahh Buster. One day, you will learn your place in the world, and that you can't be remorseful towards those pests! Or are you just going to be a useless hound dog? Hahahaha.._

All three of them laughed at me. I learned really quickly, that morals weren't valued in nature.

One day, however, my owner left for the day, somewhere. He never put us on a leash, and he was fairly kind to us. I decided to search around the forest, I wanted away from those creeps.

As I was walking through the forest, I could have sworn I saw a pair of eyes.

 _Hello?_ I said.

I walked toward where I saw that face pop out from, and heard a voice.

 _P- p- please don't eat me little hound dog! I just want to go home!_

It was a girl's voice! I found who it belonged to, on the other side of a tree. There, hid a kit, not much bigger than Cap, who was shivering in fear. I could tell she did not enjoy my company. I tried to comfort her.

 _I'm n- not gonna hurt you! I just saw you, and was curious what you were. Are you lost? My name's Buster! Nice to meet you!_

The fox crawled out of her spot, and extended her paw to meet mine. _I'm Anne! Or Ann, without the e. My owner dropped me off in the forest! I don't know why!_

 _What do you mean?_ I asked Anne.

She told me about how her owner had a mother who raised foxes for many years, and they became more tame to her over time. Her owner was allowed to raise one of them, and she raised her. One day, apparently, her brother got a hound dog, and things did not go alright. So, she had to be dropped off, in the forest, to live like a wild animal. But, she was scared.

But me and her got along well. In fact, I'd sneak into the forest, every day. We would run, wrestle, you name it. It was quite the exercise. I got faster, stronger, and smarter by hanging out with Ann.

One day, when my owner was away, my 'rivals' followed me into the forest. They attacked her. Being the brave puppy that I was, I attacked them. I _hurt_ them. They were scared, and they should have been. They understood, that I was not going to let them touch my _friend._ So, they feared me. They never teased me again. One day though, one of the puppies said something that would stick with me, for the rest of my life.

 _What if you're the one that kills her?_

And I realized that, our friendship could be no more. But, I kept hanging out with Ann, in the forest. One night we laid down in the field.

This next part is eerie, I can't believe it actually happened.

We were laying on the grass, staring at the stars.

 _Ann, we're just a bunch toddlers! We don't understand that this is wrong._

Ann sighed. _Toddlers? Tod. I like that name..._

 _We can't be friends forever, Ann! I don't want to hurt you._

She hugged me. Buster, _you're the greatest friend I ever had! I know you won't hurt me!_

That night has been in my mind, ever since.

The next day however, was the beginning of hunt training. I waved goodbye to my friend, and she saw me leaving on the truck, with tears in her eyes.

Six months later, after the hunt, we were both full grown.

One day, I decided to visit her. I was met with the face of a male fox. He wouldn't let me see her! Until, she asked who I was. I saw her. We both stared at each other. She was an adult fox. I hunted adult foxes during training! I would never hurt her though.

She walked up to me. _So you're a big mean hunting dog now, hey Buster?_

I told her to stay in the forest, and she would be safe. She told me the male fox was her mate. He was very suspicious of me, but she explained to him that I was her friend.

For a while after that, I didn't see her. I became the best hunting dog out of all the fools, and Sloth sold them to someone else.

One day however, my master followed me into the forest. He thought I was tracking game, I didn't even notice him!

I found the spot where Ann and her mate lived. There, was a beautiful sight. Four kits, all sleeping in a log, just careless of the whole world. Ann saw me, and she smiled.

 _We had four boys and a girl! Aren't they adorable, Buster?_

I tried to reply, but I heard the clicking of a shotgun. _Good boy, Buster! You found an entire family of coats!_

 _RUN!_ I yelled at Ann. She noticed the hunter, grabbed one of her kids, and took off. I don't think she forgot about the others, but she had to save one.

Ann ran, far away, near where we are now.

I watched, as my master killed her mate and family. The rage was building up. They were innocent. I only hoped Ann got away safely.

Something else was building up inside me though: pride from killing game. I had two conflicting feelings.

I wanted to _kill_ Ann and her kit, but I also wanted to save her.

I found her alright. She was waiting for me. The look of horror was in her eyes. She was crying. I was angered though. Her kit was missing, and I couldn't kill it! I was mad!

I shook her on the ground. _Where is the kit?_

She cried. _Why are you doing this to me?_

Cap said it the other day. Her last words. She lost everything. She gave up.

I owned this. I fucked up. I wouldn't give my hunter the satisfaction of killing my friend!

So, I snapped her neck. I watched, as the life faded from my friend's body. I killed her. I killed her. Not that fucking bastard who trained me.

I was so enraged, watching my friend die, I bit him. I bit down hard on his puny little hand.

I was sent to the pound, and now we catch up to the present.

Everyone has a story. Now, you know mine."

* * *

Everyone was in shock.

Tod spoke up. "But Widow named me T-"

"Yes, Tod." Buster interrupted. "But it was eerie regardless."

"Hold on!" Copper exclaimed. "You mean to tell me that Tod's mother was a pet? Like his family hasn't been wild?"

Buster nodded. "That is correct. It's why these foxes are so tame."

"You knew my mother..." pondered Tod. "And you wanted to kill me, why?"

Buster sighed. "Because I don't want to think about her anymore! Killing you and your kids would mean her family is gone. I see her face in Cap, Tod. It drives me insane."

Cap smirked. "So, you're the first fox and hound, huh? Dad wasn't the first, you were!"

Buster rolled his eyes. "I guess so. Hey there's one more part I forgot."

"What is it?"

"Ann's owner got another pet. I recognized her during the barbecue weeks ago. She named it after her."

Buster turned to Scoot.

"Annie."


	35. Chapter 34: An Unexpected Tragedy

III Chapter 34: An Unexpected Tragedy

While Tweed and the Slade's were enjoying the bonfire, the boy next door was planning his next move.

 _I didn't kill the dog. What the hell happened? I thought they were killed at the pound. And I can see that fucking fox made it too. All of those animals are peacefully laying around. What the fuck is going on?_

 _..._

 _I'm sick of this fucking family. I'll. I'll kill one of them! They won't know! And it will be too late!_

Jake snuck towards Amos' house. He had kerosene and a match. _This house is so old, I don't even think it has a smoke detector! I'll burn this place down, and that old fucker will die. Then maybe, Alex will move the fuck away from me!_

 _I gotta wait till they go to bed._

* * *

Amos decided to call it a night, which prompted everyone to go home. He decided to take Buster in to his home, as he didn't exactly trust his son with him yet. As the old man went to sleep, he could have sworn he smelled smoke.

Alex didn't want to go home, so he slept on Amos' couch, with his puppy in his arms. His grandfather allowed him inside for just one day.

* * *

The remaining pets and foxes we're still outside. Buster and Tod were conversing.

Buster looked over to Cap, Shadow, and Lily. "I don't have any friends. She was my only friend. Is it worth living? When everyone you know hates you?"

Tod replied. "I don't really hate you, now. I know the truth, that's all that matters."

Vixey butted in, "you could always make new friends, right?"

Daisy smiled. "That shouldn't be too tough?"

Buster groaned, til his groaning became an agitated growl. "No matter what, that moment will never leave my head. It's slowly killing me. I'm going to end it one-"

"Don't say that!" Yelled Lily. "Why would you hurt yourself?"

Buster chuckled, forcefully. "Kid, there's some things you don't yet understand. For instance, there is no such thing as a 'bad guy'. There is always a reason for their actions. If I had to, I'd jump off the train bridge. It's easy, when you are being tormented by the ghosts of your past."

Copper looked up at the moon. "I think it's time for bed, kiddos."

"Awwwwww!" The three pups whined in unison, which caused Copper to smile.

Daisy licked Shadow. "come on now! Off to bed! It's time for your friends to dream of chasing rabbits through the woods, and for you to dream of chasing foxes...". Daisy paused. "Uhh, how should I end this, honey?"

The group laughed.

Tod smirked. "How about, just go to bed kids."

Daisy agreed. "Yeah, that's better!"

* * *

Tweed was watching the family of foxes from her home. She saw Todd, which instantly provoked a smile to form on her lips. She decide that Cap would be fine with his father, so she went inside, and got to bed.

Todd was curled around his son, and Vixey did the same to Lily. The foxes were sleeping next to the tall grass surrounding the pond. Todd knew he was safe at Amos' for now, but being so close to the forest made him feel safer. He didn't go back to his home, because he didn't know if Cap would make the distance with the poor condition of his legs.

The hounds were in their respective doghouses, next to the bonfire pit. Scoot was inside, with Alex.

Liam wasn't asleep. He was sitting in his son's bedroom, watching the nocturnal animals outside. He still wanted Cap's hide, but for now, he just tucked his pistol in his pocket.

* * *

A shadowy figure walked with a torch, to his neighbors house. He set it against the old wood, until the flame caught on to the house. _Only a matter of time!_

* * *

Cap saw a light in the distance. Curious, he sidestepped his father, without waking him up. He limped toward the source of light. The boy holding the torch formed an evil grin. "Well, look who it is! I thought you and that dog died, but I guess not!"

Jake picked Cap off the ground, and held his muzzle shut. He then swing his arm back, and threw Cap on the ground. The fox whined, and tried to run away, only to fall on his feet.

The boy kicked the fox in the head, knocking it out. "I hope you don't wake up from that, heheheh."

Jake walked back to his house, to observe the destruction that would be soon to follow.

* * *

20 minutes later. Alex opened his eyes. It was very hard to breathe, he noticed. Then he saw it. The room he was in was engulfed in flames. Panicked, the boy ran to his grandfather's room, and tried to wake him up. "Grandpa! Let's go! The house is on fire!"

Amos, startled awake, jumped out of bed. Forgetting about their two hounds, the two ran out the back door, only to see Liam, rushing to the burning building.

Liam shouted, "what in the blazes happened!? And where is Buster and Scoot?"

Alex cried. "I don't want my puppy to die!"

Liam spoke calmly. "I'll go save him. It's not like you think too highly of me, anyway; if anything were to happen to me." Liam rushed into the house.

"Dad! No!" Alex screamed.

* * *

Cap awoke. He saw the burning building, and freaked out. _Scoot and Alex are in there!_

He noticed there was a hole created by the fire, just large enough for him to squeeze through. As Cap squeezed into the hole, he could see Liam on the other side, unaware of his presence.

The man was trying to get through a pile of rubble, in which dogs were heard barking on the other side. Then, Cap saw it. There was a square gap, that a dog would be able to duck through. He thought he might be able to drag Scoot through it.

Wasting no time, he ran with the pain in his legs, over to the gap.

Liam noticed the fox, and took out his pistol.

Cap was now on the other side. He was frantically searching for his friend, as his sense of smell was impacted by the smoke. He turned through a doorway, and found his old nemesis.

Buster had the puppy in his mouth.

The black hound was in tears. "You need to get him out of here! Save him!"

The beam above the doorway creaked.

Buster ran to the doorway, and dropped Scoot on the ground, outside the doorway. The puppy was shaking.

The fox and the black hounds eyes locked. They shared a mutual smile.

The beam above the doorway started to crack. Buster noticed, and picked Cap up, and threw him out of harms way. The rubble collapsed on top of him.

"No!" Shouted Cap.

"Buster!" Scoot cried.

The hound showed no expression of worry. "Cap." He weakly whispered.

Cap turned his face directly at the trapped hound, a tear dropping down his face.

Buster smiled, as more rubble fell on top of him.

"No!" Cap screamed. "Buster, NO!"

The fox screamed at the ceiling. It was the first death that had an impact on him. "He was misguided! But he was trying to become better! He didn't have to die!"

Scoot nudged him. "We have to go?!"

The fox and hound ran to the gap between the pile of wood, and the floor. Liam was waiting on the other side. The fox ran under it, as fast as he could. As Scoot was crawling through, however, the pile shifted downwards, trapping the puppy.

Liam clicked his pistol.

Cap knew he was about to die. He could either let Liam shoot him, and be a coward, or attempt to free his friend from the pile. He chose the latter.

Cap grabbed Scoot's paw, with his teeth, and pulled as hard as he could. Eventually, Scoot was able to become unstuck.

Scoot turned back to his friend. Then he saw Liam.

"Run!" Cap screamed.

"But, Copper!"

"RUN!"

The pile now fell to trap Cap.

As the puppy ran out of the house, Liam watched.

He turned back to Cap, who had his mouth open, horrified of what was to happen.

The fox closed his eyes, and relaxed.

Liam stared at Cap, his finger on the trigger. Why couldn't he fire?

Liam contemplated the scenario. The fox just saved Scoot from being crushed, was it right to kill it?

Liam held his pistol in his arm. Slowly, he lowered the gun.

* * *

The rest of the family was outside. Widow Tweed comforted Alex. "You're father may not always do the right thing, Alex. But he loves you, and knows you would have risked your life."

Suddenly, a white and brown spotted puppy ran towards Alex.

The boy looked down toward Scoot and smiled. He then. Remembered his father was inside, as the wood above the doorway fell, trapping anyone inside.

"Dad!" Alex screamed.

For a few moments everyone was silent. Then, the sound of wood being moved came from the door. Eventually, the doorway was unobstructed again.

Amos, Alex and Tweed watched, as a shadowy figure emerged from the door.

It was Liam! But, he also held something in his arms.

Alex's eyes widened. _Did he kill..._

Liam somberly walked towards the fox family, with the young fox in his arms. As he was walking, Scoot was running along side him, trying to get to his friend.

The hunter tossed the fox on the ground, next to it's father. Liam walked back to the other three people.

Liam and Alex stared at each other. What happened next, surprised everyone.

Alex ran towards his father, and wrapped his arms around him. The father held his son tightly, while patting his head.

Alex released his dad. He cried. "I love you, dad. I know you sometimes go off your rocker and do things that I don't agree with, but it doesn't change the fact that you care about me, and believe in me."

Liam had tears streaming down his face. "I know, Alex. I'm done with drinking."

Alex turned, to where he could see the foxes. He saw Cap on the ground, and ran over to him. His father followed.

Scoot was shaking his friend. "No, Cap! You're my best friend! You can't be dead! You just can't be..."

He cuddled up against his friend's body, his tears staining the fur.

The kit coughed a couple times, and his eyes slowly opened.

Scoot got off his friend's body, and stared into his eyes.

The fox turned over, and saw Alex and Liam, staring down at him.

* * *

"Why did you save him?" Alex asked.

Liam chuckled. "Those two care about each other, and I know it would devastate both you and you're puppy if I killed that kit."

"But...," Alex stuttered, "What about Scoot's hunting capabilities being ruined?"

Liam put his arm around Alex and smirked. "The hell with it!"

* * *

Cap remembered what happened to Buster, and was saddened. "Dad, Buster is really dead now, isn't he?"

Tod nuzzled his son. "Yes, unfortunately. He wanted to go though."

Copper and Chief ran over to the group.

Chief inspected Scoot. "Thank goodness you're okay!" He then walked over to Cap. "How are you doing?"

The kit looked up at Chief, with tears in his eyes.

"He's upset about Buster," Tod said.

Chief sighed. "It's what he wanted, Cap. Buster was always depressed."

Cap faced the ground. "He saved me from the rubble. Then, he wanted to stare at my face. I reminded him of Ann he said...".

Chief inquired. "Uhh, who's Ann?"

Copper replied. "Tod's mother." She was his only friend. Then he was forced to kill her."

Chief was shocked. "He was friends with a fox? You'd never know..."

Scoot mumbled, "And Annie's owner was Tod's mom's owner."

Chief ridiculed, "So these foxes go way back then. Tod's not wild. You guys are all pets!"

Tod humbly replied. "I liked my time with the Widow, but the forest is my home! I wouldn't change it for the world...," He turned to Vixey. "I wouldn't have ever met her, without you."

Chief chuckled. "It took me falling off a bridge for you to find love, Tod? Seems like everything does happen for a reason."

The two shared a laugh.

Cap looked up at Liam, who seemed to realize that his dog wasn't coming back. He limped over to Scoot, and whispered something in his ear. Scoot nodded.

The two of them ran, to the burnt out rubble that was once Amos' home. They climbed, to the highest point. No one on the ground below knew what they were up to. All eyes were on them, regardless. Cap and Scoot were back to back.

"You ready, pal?" Cap asked.

"Ready!" Confirmed Scoot.

With perfect choreography, the two lifted their heads up to the sky, and each howled at the moon, mourning the tragic death of the hound. It was the perfect act of respect. The perfect act of friendship.

A/N: Alright, so my writing has come a long way since I finished this story. I am planning to make it quite a bit darker, so expect a rewrite (If I feel like it).


	36. Chapter 35: Growing up

IV Chapter 35: Growing Up

Tod and Vixey watched, as their children played with their hound friends down below. Now in the safety of the Slade's yard, the kids had nothing to worry about.

Widow and the Slade's watched the critters from Liam's new patio. Chief, Daisy, and Copper were sitting on the edge, making sure to step in if the children got too rough.

Cap was the happiest kit in the world. Now, his sister and Shadow join the two boys for their daily shenanigans. It had been a couple weeks since the incident, and Cap's leg was fully healed. He could run circles around his friends! They couldn't catch him! He donned a new hat, this time it was black. Alex asked Widow to make him another one, and she happily obliged. On the front of it, in white letters, spelled "COPPER".

It was still a couple months until the hunting season began; the time when. Scoot and Shadow would leave for their trip.

As the two kits were playing, Amos noticed his old enemy on the hill. He decided to get up and walk to him.

Tod watched, as Amos made his way toward him. He was a little startled, when the hunter sat next to him. After a while, Tod realized Amos was being peaceful, so he laid down next to him. The hunter put his hand on the foxes upper back. The two glanced at each other.

Amos sighed. "Seems like even though we're supposed to be at each other's throats, we still have one thing in common. Family. You're just makin' sure those kits of yours are safe, while I'm makin' sure I got enough money t' provide for them."

Amos put his hands in his lap, and watched the pups playing down below. "You seem to care about Copper's kin too. If it weren't for you, Alex's puppy would be dead."

The fox put his paws on Amos' lap. The man chuckled. "Don't get all cuddly with me. You're still a pest! But I see no value of killing you anymore. You don't deserve it."

The hunter got to his feet. "I know you can't understand me, but I'll say it anyways: I won't hurt your family, as long as you don't hurt mine."

Tod watched Amos slowly walk away. He couldn't help but smile.

* * *

Scoot was exhausted from running around.

Cap stopped in his tracks. "Aww come on, hunting dog!" He mocked. "How ya gonna outrun those animals ya gotta catch, if ya don't have enough energy to keep up with a little fox?"

Scoot panted. "Not. Everyone. Is as fast. As. You." He collapsed next to Chief. The old hound chuckled.

The two girls were also laying down. Chief didn't seem to mind Lily, as she was mostly calm.

Copper noticed Tod watching down him, so he trekked up the hill. It was a lot farther then it looked! He sat next to his old fox pal. They shared a mutual smile. Both of them stared toward their kids.

"Whoever knew this would happen?" Copper asked. "I mean, our kids are playing together, and no one cares! The foxes and hounds aren't enemies!"

Tod sighed. "But I'm worried about the future."

"Whaddya mean?"

"Scoot and Shadow are going on a hunting trip soon, yes?"

"Uhh yeah, why?"

Tod turned to his friend. "You changed after the hunt."

Copper groaned. "Oh, come on Tod! Scoot and Shadow aren't going to hurt Copper and Lily! They've known each other for a while, trust me!"

Vixey was keeping a close eye on her daughter. "She's going to be a target when she's older."

Copper shook his head. "Nah, Alex isn't gonna let any harm come to your children. He loves them."

Down below, Alex could be seen holding Cap. "He also vaccinated her, so it would be a waste to kill her." Copper continued. Alex picked up Lily and put her on his other shoulder. "Your kids love him too."

Vixey started to calm down, when her kits fell asleep in Alex's arms, and he started to bring them towards her.

When Alex got to the top, he was exhausted. "Gee, Tod- you really+ picked a far spot to- scout, huh?"

He placed the two kits on the floor, who ran to their parents. The boy sat in the edge of the hill, next to the mother fox.

Vixey was anxious. "Uhh... This guy thinks he can just sit next t-"

Her words were cut short, when Alex started scratching her head. She rolled next to him.

Cap giggled. "Feels good, doesn't it mama?'

Vixey rolled her eyes. "I guess."

The six of them didn't notice the two puppies who snuck up on them.

Scoot tackled Cap. "Hey wha!" The fox cried.

"Scared ya, didn't I?" The puppy jeered.

Cap stuck out his tongue. "Maybe!" As he kicked Scoot off of him.

"Calm down guys!" Yelled Copper. "Just sit down and shut up!"

"But daddy!" Whined Scoot.

"Shut up!" Shouted Tod. "We're trying to talk without you yahoos interrupting us!"

Eventually, the younger animals laid down next to Alex, who was gazing down at his grandfather's farm. A new home was being built for him.

Widow glanced up, and saw Alex with the fox family. She smiled when she saw Tod, who turned to face her. She could of sworn that he winked at her.

Alex picked Cap up, and held him in his arms. The Kit's green eyes were open wide, staring at the boy's face. Alex closed his eyes, as he held the fox closer. "I'll never hurt you guys. Ever. You're part of my family now."

Scoot leapt into his owners arms, covering his face in slobber.

Until the sunset, the young Hunter and his hounds sat with the foxes, of whom was supposed to be their prey..

* * *

Two months later. It was time for Scoot and Shadow to learn how to properly hunt. Scoot was pacing by his friend. "Cap, if you don't want me to go, I won't! Alex will understand!"

The fox just smirked. "Scoot, No! This is who you are! I'm not stopping you!"

The hound gulped. _Well I wasn't expecting that!_

 _"Scoot!"_ Alex's voice called.

Both the fox and the hound ran out toward the hunter's truck.

"Wait!" Cap shouted.

The hound stopped, and turned around to face his friend. "What!?"

The fox pleaded. "Remember me."

Scoot was confused. "I'm not going to forg-". He realized what his friend meant now. He gave Cap a reassuring smile. "I will remember you. Our encounters in the future will be no different than they are now!"

Alex and Liam were in the car with their puppies, Copper, Daisy and their hunting equipment, ready for the next couple months of training. The boy gave a quick wave to the foxes, then the truck sped away.

As Scoot watched his friend wave to him as he left, his words echoed in his head. _Remember me._

* * *

 _Time has a way of changing things..._

It was now the end of winter. A grown up fox emerged from his family's burrow. His new brothers and sisters were still asleep. He perched himself on the hill, waiting desperately for the day his friend would be back. The old hound down below woke up. Cap decided to run down to him.

"Hey buddy!" The fox exclaimed.

The hound looked none too happy. " Is that... you, Cap!?

Cap smirked at Chief. "What gave it away? It couldn't have been the hat I've worn for all eternity, could it?"

Chief groaned. "You're much brighter than your meddlin' father, actually. What are you doing here, anyway?"

"Waiting for my old pal, what do you think."

Chief processed what he said, then proceeded to roll on the floor laughing.

"What's so funny?"

"You- think that Scoot- won't tear you- up? HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"

The fox frowned. "Uh... I know he wont!"

The hound ended his giggling. "Whatever, kid. You're fair game now. You aren't the cuddly kit you used to be!"

Cap was about to respond, when he heard a noise in the distance. Chief smiled. "Let's see how this goes now!"

The sound of Alex's engine roared from the street, as it eventually parked in the yard. As the boy for out, he saw Cap on the other side of the yard. He wasn't smiling though.

Liam lifted the large case that held all the skins from the trip. He set it in his garage. Copper and the now grown up hounds exited the vehicle. Scoot faced his master. Until he heard a voice.

"Scoot!"

The hound turned in the direction of the sound. He saw the fox, and growled, before he he sprinted towards him at full speed.

 _Remember who your friends are..._

Cap was getting nervous. His old friend didn't take to kind to his call out. The fox attempted to escape, but it was too late!

Scoot pinned Cap to the ground. The fox closed his eyes. "You don't remember me... do you?"

The hounds breathing stabilized. He got a closer look at the fox "Of... course I remember you.. Copper!" He hopped off of his friend. "Scared ya! Didn't I?!"

The fox got to his feet. "Not cool!"

The sound of high pitched barking made the two of them turn, as two young puppies ran toward them.

One of them was a light brown color. It bumped into Scoot.

"Hey!" Scoot shouted at the . "Tod! Knock it off!"

The fox stared at his friend. "You just called him... Tod!?"

Scoot chuckled. "He's my brother. Amos named him!"

Suddenly, a dark red kit jumped out of the woods, straight at Scoot. The hound growled, before the kit reconciled. "Oh, please I'm sorry. Don't eat me mister hound! I didn't mean to..."

"Can it Buster!" Cap yelled. "You're fine!"

Now, it was Scoot's turn to be confused. "His name is... Buster?!"

Cap giggled. "He's my brother. I named him!"

Now, Alex was approaching the four of them. "Some things never change! Long time no see, Cap!"

Cap wanted to show Alex something. He called to Copper and Shadow. "Follow me, guys!"

As they followed him, Alex ran with them. What did Cap want them to see?

A/N: Like I said, I want to rewrite this story in a more darker tone if I have time. There's still 2 more chapters to go!


	37. Inseparable: Epilogue

Epilogue

A cool wind blows through the forest. A father watched as his four newborns meander around aimlessly, taking in the world, for the first time. The father watches as his son arrives, with his friends. One of them, a boy, kneels down to his level. The father nods, in acknowledgement.

The eldest son brings his hound friend, to show off his new siblings. They March around the hill, unaware of the dangers of the world.

The father realizes he forgot something, as he runs toward the farm. He meets up with his ok hound friend, and tells him the news. The hound called to his three kids, to follow him.

As the hound scales up the rocks, toward the hill, the father fox trails behind. He realizes he's being watched, so he stops and turns toward his watcher. The old man has his eyes on the fox. His old enemy. What happens next, is a shock to the old man. The foxes mouth slowly spread to form a smirk. The old man can't help but smile back.

The fox continues his path, toward his children. He arrives to meet all of those he trusts. The puppies notice the four kits, and investigate them.

As they are fragile, the kits are startled, and taken aback by this curious gesture. They turn to their father, whose expression tells them not to worry.

The kits were all different shades of red, one being closer to the color brown.

The hound and fox watch over their children, who seem to be getting along well.

Tod is the foxes name. Copper is the hound's. Their two oldest sons, Copper and Scoot are carefully patrolling the young animals, so as they don't get injured. Alex, the boy, reaches down to pet the Auburn kit, Buster. The boy is taken aback when the kit playfully snaps at him, but he simply laughs it off.

Two of Copper's kids are brown with white spots, while one is fully darker brown, almost red in a way.

The puppy curiously nudges the fox.

"And who might you be, little one?"

His hound friend Chuckles. "Meet Tod!"

The fox is left startled. "You... You named him after... Me!?"

Copper replied, "no, Amos did."

The puppy sat down, and looked up at Tod. "What... are you?"

Tod laughed. "I'm a fox kid! You're named after me!"

The puppy gasped. "Woah! My dad and brother hunt foxes! Why isn't he hunting you?"

Copper nudged his son. "I'm going to tell you a story... in fact, Tod should tell it."

Tod called out to the other young animals, telling them to come to him.

As the pups sat around the fox, Tod glanced over to his friend. "Should we tell them everything? Or just our story?"

Tod's son, Copper, answered for him. "Everything. You cover Buster's story and yours, and me and Scoot can tell ours."

Tod nodded, as he began his tale. The tale of his past.

 _"Everyone has a story. This is ours."_

 **~The End~**

 _A/N: And that's the end of this story, guys! Hope you all enjoyed._

If you finished, please be sure to give a review of the overall story, I'd appreciate your feedback! I'll answer any questions you have in a new Chapter.

SUMMARY / RANT INCOMING

This story was my idea of a true Fox and the Hound sequel, one that would be realistic to Disney's standards. I see the original movie as a lesson to younger children: friends will eventually leave your life, but you always have those memories. The original movie I feel also had some part of racism to it also.

So, if the original movie was about society the year it came out, I believe that if a sequel was made, it would not have the original lesson. Friends don't really leave anymore. We are all connected in a way, be it by phone, or social media.

Alex represents the new generation, who are generally more accepting than those before. He does not see a problem with the foxes, but his grandfather stuck in his old ways, does still have a problem with them..

Liam on the other hand, also has this view. Eventually, they both understand Alex, and why he is protecting Cap.

RANT OVER

Anyways, now I'm just trying to get into my college! You might see a remake, or a sequel, or you might not.

Thanks for reading! Please review.


End file.
